The Auction
by Angel's blue eyed girl
Summary: This takes place in and after 'A Few Good Men' *Note* There are parts of this fic that are silly and at times it's a parody of what could've happened. It's AU and if characters are OOC...don't flame me cause that's what fanfic is about. *Smut Warning*
1. Chapter 1

**The Auction**

**Pairing: Damon and Elena—like I'd write anything else! Pfft!**

**Rating: Hmm? What do you think? Though this first part is a mild M for bad language—the next part is all me and my smutterfluff! :) :) :)**

**Summary: Who needs 'a few good men' when you have Damon? lol! Well, this is my take on what should have happened in 'A Few Good Men' Well, maybe not a serious take—it's actually not at all serious…I have one serious fic going so I needed some humor. Hope you guys like it. This is more a parody of what 'could' have happened in that episode blended with my need for D/E smut. Okay? Okay.**

**Enjoy…hugs & kisses,**

**Jen**

* * *

**Part 1:**

**Salvatore Boarding House**:

"Stefan?" Elena said as she entered his room. The room had a lived in look, but right now, it looked like the _he_ she was looking for wasn't there. Elena was about to leave when she heard _his_ voice coming from Stefan's closet.

"Better…" he said, his boots clicking off the floor. "Me," he finsihed in a husky purr as he just kind of sauntered over, oozing a kind of sex appeal that should be illegal.

Elena's eyes nearly burst from her head as she stared at him. Why was he so hot? It was almost sacrilegious that someone so without morals could look so heavenly. He was dressed in nothing but boots and a pair of loose fitting jeans that rode so dangerously low that his hips that his pubic bones were plainly visible. Elena's eyes were mesmerized by that little line of hair that ran from his belly button down to his—her thoughts ground to a halt. 'Don't even go there,' she told herself. But she couldn't help the way her eyes ate up his spectacular body. He was stunningly attractive.

Elena finally found her voice. "You look…um…" God, it should be a sin to look that good, she thought. Oh God, say anything but that, she told herself sternly.

As if reading her mind, he smirked. "Dashing, gorgeous—irresis-sstible?" he teased. He was obviously drunk and coming a little too close for Elena's increasingly frantic heart rate.

Yes, yes and yes! She wanted to shout, but somehow managed to gather the tattered remnants of her control together and kept her cool. She was quite proud that her voice didn't even quiver as she said, "Wrecked…" She did however fold her arms over her chest tightly in order to_ not_ give in to temptation and feel for herself if his belly was as hard as it looked. "You look wrecked," she finished, nodding for good measure. There, that sounded strong—no hint of burning lust. Elena swallowed, now if only he'd cover that chest—she might be able to actually think again.

He gave a careless little shrug. "Hmm, don't see why? Did you know that I'm one of Mystic Falls most eligible bachelors?" he asked quirking a brow as if saying, 'how ironic-right?'

Elena couldn't help but agree—if only the lonely women of Mystic Falls knew… "So you've agreed to be auctioned off at the fundraiser?" she asked, smirking.

He made a face. "I'm doing it as a favor," he said grabbing a shirt and stepping in front of the mirror.

"Huh" she said. It didn't really surprise her that he'd been asked. Damon was sexy, single and rich—of course he'd be asked to participate, but what did surprise her was that he was doing it. He really must be hammered. "So, how are you doing?" she asked.

"Never better. Yep…'m dealing just fine," he said, shrugging the shirt on.

Elena had her doubts. Getting ripped day in and day out wasn't her idea of dealing, but then again, she'd never plotted to free someone for over a hundred years only to find out they'd never been captured at all, so who was she to say how she'd deal in that situation. Damon's eyes met hers in the mirror. "So what can I do for you?" he asked. "I'm a barrel full of favors today." Clumsily he tried to button his shirt. "It's my new found purpose in life—how can I help people," he said, weaving a bit. He couldn't seem to get the shirt buttoned and turned to her with a sigh. "Help a guy out will ya?" He motioned to the buttons. "I can't…get this," he finished, pouting slightly.

Elena swallowed. Oh lord, she _so_ didn't want to put her hands on him. Damon—especially a half naked Damon, did weird things to her pulse, but she didn't see a dignified way out of it—running from the room would earn her nothing but his scathing sarcasm. He gave a little grunt and Elena rolled her eyes, crossing the room to where he stood waiting for her with his shirt unbuttoned. He turned with her, facing the mirror again when she took hold of the buttons.

"So…" she said softly, a smile lighting up her face and making it glow. "I found out who my birth mother is…" Elena wasn't sure why she wanted to share this with him, but she did—that is until he made a *blech* sound. Her brows drew down and her fingers still on the front of his shirt. Why did he have to ruin everything, she thought more upset than she should be.

Damon didn't notice her crestfallen look. "Who cares?" he said, making a face before he leaned down to stare at her while he gave her a bleary eyed lesson in the hard knocks of life. "She left you. It doesn't matter why—she sucks," he said pointedly.

Bizarrely that almost made sense and Elena's eyes drifted down to his lips as she wondered how Damon could see through her façade to her need to find out why when no one else had. She could smell the booze, mixed with expensive cologne and a scent that was just Damon. It was very distracting in a sexual way and she wet her lips nervously when he leaned even closer. "Trust me. You don't want to wait around for someone who didn't care enough to keep you to begin with. It'll only hurt worse in the end," he said softly.

Elena realized they weren't talking about her anymore. She resisted the urge to hug him. "I'm sorry, Damon," she said with genuine empathy. "I know Katherine's betrayal really hurt you."

He shrugged as if it didn't matter, but he still shied away from the Katherine topic. "So you're going to the fund raiser with Stefan?" he asked instead.

"Yeah, why?" she asked as she started buttoning his shirt again.

"Well, I thought you guys broke up again…for like the umpteenth time," he added with a roll of his eyes.

"We're still friends, Damon."

"Friends with benefits?" he asked with a smirk.

"No, at least not the kind you're thinking of," she told him with more than a slight trace of exasperation in her voice.

"Jeez, you two are so boring," he lamented. "No wonder it never works for you—where's the fire?" He leaned close to her again, close enough that his lips almost touched her ear, "where's the passion," he asked softly.

His breath on the delicate shell of her ear caused a shudder to race up her spine. Elena swallowed the sudden urge to moan before answering. "We—well we have that." He snorted and Elena scowled. "We do," she insisted, almost stamping her foot in exclamation of her point. "It's just not in the animal way you think of sex, Damon—not everyone is like you, you know?" she said with a smirk.

Her smirk vanished instantly when he merely smiled and said, "Correction—_no one_ is like me, Elena—least of all my self flagellating little brother."

Elena did stomp her foot then. "You're wrong. What Stefan and I have is sweet and caring and—"

He interrupted her with a loud *snoring* sound. "Boring me to tears already." He put his hands on her shoulders. "That's why you never stay, Elena—you want more," he told her emphatically, staring into her eyes.

Elena's heart was thundering in her ears. His remark was far too close to the truth for her peace of mind. "There—all done," she said, letting go of his shirt and taking a hasty step away from him and the temptation he represented.

He grabbed her hands and placed them back on his chest. "Are you?" he asked. "I think there's something else you want to do right now, isn't there?"

"You're drunk," she said attempting to tug her hands away before she gave in to the desire to run them along his silk clad chest.

"I can hear your heart beat," he reminded her with his usual brash arrogance. "You want me."

His eyes were mesmerizing and Elena fell into them. Almost without conscious thought she leaned forward, getting lost in those strikingly blue/green eyes as her fingers curled and she gripped his shirt tightly. "I—" She froze, as it dawned on her like a bucket of ice water over her head that she was almost on her tip-toes and leaning in to kiss him. "Oh my God, are you compelling me?" she snapped, stumbling away from him.

He made a *tsking* sound and grabbed her arm. He reeled her back in and held up her vervain necklace for her to see, waving it in front of her face like a hypnotist would. "That'd be kind of hard with you wearing this, right?" She gave a tiny nod, but it was barely an acknowledgement since she was still unwilling to admit it was her own desires doing her in, but Damon sensed it. He hovered over her, smiling wolfishly as he crowded her space again. "No, that was all you, Elena. You want me."

She shook her head. "No," she said, but it sounded weak--pathetic even and Elena could see he didn't believe her. Hell, neither did she for that matter.

He didn't even bother to reply to that wimpy denial. "Here's a thought…maybe you should bid on me tonight." Her eyes widened and reasons as to why that was absurd popped all over the place, but all those reasons did not stop the little tingle of excitement that shot through her at his words. he cupped the back of her neck and rubbed his cheek against hers. "We could have a little moonlit picnic in the woods…just the two of us…under the stars, on a blanket…naked," he added, pulling back to witness her face flame. He chuckled with devilish glee and Elena's mouth opened and closed several times before Damon took advantage of her momentary stupor by dipping his head and brushing a kiss across her lips.

Elena's whole body *zinged* to life and Damon felt the current as it raced through her to him. He gasped as her heart thundered- so hard it was almost like his own was beating vicariously through hers. It was an amzing turn on and he crushed her to him, pressing his erection against her belly as he kissed her hard, but with a finesse that he'd perfected with over a hundred and fifty years of experience. Elena didn't stand a chance. She felt that hard arousal and imagined it inside her--her knees buckled. She'd dreamed about this, but never had she actually thought it'd happen.

"Damon," she moaned, clinging to his shoulders just to stay on her feet as she kissed him back with all the newly realized passion she had for him.

Suddenly he broke the kiss. "Think about it," he said, stepping back from her suddenly.

Stunned to the point of muteness, Elena's fingers went to her lips. His kiss, brief as it was, had made her entire body clench with hot, overwhelming desire. She stared at him, torn between anger that he'd stopped and fear that she was somehow irrevocably seared by his kiss. It had left her trembling with desire and far more turned on than making love to Stefan. Her boyfriend--ex-boyfriend, hadn't made her feel one tenth of that kind of passion and they'd been having intercourse at the time. It was crazy, and he was evil, she decided. These feelings were wrong—bad, and she had to make sure he knew to never, ever do that again.

Elena opened her mouth to berate him when she happened to spot Stefan behind Damon's shoulder, standing in the room, his arms crossed over his chest and a puzzled expression on his face. Her words died in her throat. "Stefan—finally," she breathed, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear. "Are you ready?" she asked, taking hold of his arm and almost dragging him from the room as she set out to put miles between herself and the devil named Damon Salvatore.

Her teeth gnashed when she heard Damon's husky chuckle as they left. "See you two love birds' later tonight." Elena glared at him over her shoulder, not if she could help it, she thought, but Damon's next words stopped her in her tracks. "Oh, and Elena…" he called after her, "think about what I said, at the very least it'd be exciting," he told her as he stepped around them and headed down the hall to his own room to finish getting ready.

"What was that all about?" Stefan asked with a frown.

"Nothing," Elena snapped before she took a deep breath a put on a happy face. "It's just Damon being Damon. If he ever sobers up maybe this whole Katherine thing might make him remember he has a heart even if it doesn't beat," she said.

"Did he say or…do something to you?" Stefan asked, his brows lowering to a scowl now.

"No," Elena lied. The last thing she wanted was for Stefan to confront Damon. Lord only knows what beans Damon might spill! "Let's go." She looped her arm through his playfully and pushed thoughts of a certain sexy vampire out of her mind. "I'm tired of talking about Damon, tonight let's just relax and have fun for a change, okay?"

Stefan grinned. "That'd definitely be a change of pace." He paused. "So are we okay?"

Elena sighed. "Can we just keep things as they are for right now?" His face fell and Elena bit her lip, watching as his shoulders sagged in defeat. She felt guilty, but what could she do? Things were complicated. She loved Stefan, she did, but—her mind refused to go any further. Damon couldn't be right…could he? Did she want—need more?

He nodded, putting on a brave face and shuttering his look of pain. "I can accept that, just as long as I know I still have a chance."

Elena smiled. Now that was a definite. "Always," she said, refusing to think of the pair of flashing aquamarine eyes, and the sinfully delicious body of the vampire that not only haunted her dreams, but with that kiss, had now barreled his way into her waking thoughts too. Great—tonight was going to be a long one indeed.

* * *

A little while later, Damon came down the stairs pulling on his jacket. He'd changed. Now he was all in black, having abandoned Stefan's too tight green shirt for a silky black Armani button down that fit him across the chest better. His black jeans rode low on his hips the way he liked them, but the black suit jacket hugged his shoulders to perfection. He looked good and he knew it. He grabbed his shades, ready to go, but paused at the landing, surprised to see Stefan still there. "Where'd _our _girlfriend go?" he asked sarcastically, putting a definite emphasis on 'our'.

"She's on her way to the Grille," Stefan replied.

Damon smirked. "I thought you guys were going together. You know, doing the whole _friends_…" He air quoted the word 'friends', "thing."

Stefan's jaw tightened. "How about you stop worrying about what goes on between me and Elena.

Damon snorted. "Where's the fun in that?"

Stefan ignored the comment. "I want to show you something," he said, pulling something out of his jacket pocket.

"Grreat," Damon said, drawing out the word exaggeratedly. "What now?"

Stefan had a picture of an attractive brunette woman. "This is the woman, Isobel, the one from North Carolina that I was asking you about." He held the picture up for Damon to see. "Do you recognize her?"

Damon gave a perfunctorily glance at the photo. "Should I?" he asked instead of answering.

"Did you kill her?" Stefan growled.

"Are we _seriously_ going to go through this again?" Damon griped. "Remember? Needle—haystack," he reminded with a curl of his lip.

"Look again," Stefan demanded, shoving the picture right up under Damon's nose.

The elder sibling rolled his eyes but gave the picture a closer look. "Sorry, but she doesn't look familiar," he said before heading for the door. Damon stopped and turned. "Are you coming? Cause I can give you a lift since I'm heading there to sign away my freedom for the night…" He winked, giving Stefan a look that set the younger Salvatore's teeth on edge due to its smugness. "Who knows what lucky lady might get to win a date with me tonight, hmmm? Think they'll let me snack?" he taunted, licking his lips exaggeratedly. Stefan just stood there, arms akimbo, glaring and Damon smirked again. "Jeez, I'm kidding. Come on bro. Get it together—the desperate housewives of Mystic Falls a-wait…"

Stefan gave an exasperated sigh, tucked the picture back in his pocket and followed his brother out the door. He wouldn't get any answers from Damon right now so he might as well get a ride. "I hope old lady Bindley gets your ass," he said. He suddenly smiled as the amusing, yet scary visual of the seventy-something, wrinkled and grey haired old woman who worked at his school and ogled the boys there, bidding on and getting her hands on his brother in the auction tonight. It definitely put him in a better mood. "Now _that_ would be poetic justice," he said out loud as he shut the door to the boarding house and trailed after Damon to his brother's car.

**The Grille:**

"He's already been hit on like thirty five times," Caroline chirped. "He's total cougar bait!"

Elena wasn't sure how to respond so she made an *mmhhmm* sound and said, "That's impressive."

Matt gave Elena an 'I'm sorry' look. He wished Caroline hadn't brought the subject up and said as much. "More like embarrassing," he corrected.

Just then Kelly Donovan, Matt's mother came up to the receptionist's podium.

"Hi, Mrs. Donovan," Caroline squeaked, an 'eager to please' smile plastered across her pretty face.

Kelly ignored her, turning to Elena instead and drew her into a hug. "Elena honey," she said, pretending she didn't notice how Caroline's face fell at the blatant snub.

Elena actually hadn't noticed and returned the hug. "Kelly—it's good to see you. How are you?"

"Oh same old," Kelly answered pulling back. She gave Elena a mock frown. "Matty tells me you broke his heart…"

"Mom! " Matt interrupted. He glanced at Caroline's hurt face and frowned at his mother, but she just smiled.

"Just kidding," she told her son with a smirk. "Settle down." She gave Elena a knowing look. "He found his rebound girl," she said cattily, shifting her gaze to Caroline before flashing another warm smile at Elena. "Oh well, so what have you been up to?"

Elena glanced at Caroline giving her a silent show of sympathy with her eyes. Kelly prompted her for an answer and since Elena had no idea where to start and she absolutely couldn't tell the truth, she shrugged. "Like you—same old…just a different year," she answered without actually saying anything.

Kelly nodded. "I can relate." She handed Caroline a five dollar bill. "Consider me entered into the auction for tonight." She giggled at Elena. "I heard there are actually a few hotties up for bid tonight." She ignored her son's pointed, 'don't embarrass me look'. "Oh relax Matt, I'll behave, but I might as well indulge. After all, I_ am_ single," she said with a shrug. She noticed Carol Lockwood and rolled her eyes. "Stuck up snob," she sneered. "Though she did give me a good tip about who to bid on tonight…Do you know a Damon Salvatore…" she whispered to Elena.

"Um yeah, I—we all do…why?" Elena asked warily.

Kelly shrugged. "Nothing bad, it's just that I heard Carol Lockwood and your mother talking..." She directed that to Caroline. "And they said he's going to be the high bid tonight because he's like this amazing looking guy, who's rich, charming and…" she glanced at Elena and grinned. "Did I mention wickedly hot." Elena nodded numbly, but Kelly was already moving on to Caroline with a smirk. "I think your mom called him dreamy—is she bidding too? I mean, after your father, I could understand her needing reassurance…"

Caroline looked ready to cry and Elena couldn't help the sudden anger she felt for Kelly. She was being mean to Caroline; who was trying so hard to have the older woman like and accept her, but what was really gnawing at Elena's guts was the fact that she knew how Kelly was with men. She was a serious man-eater—and while Elena didn't judge, there was no way in hell she wanted Kelly to get her claws or any other body part into—or onto Damon! Unh-uh, it so wasn't happening. She'd bid on him herself first. That thought caught and held and while Elena didn't care to look into her reasons why. (That was a ball of yarn she couldn't even hope to unravel at this time.) She was certain of one thing. Damon was _not _going home with Kelly Donovan!

Kelly didn't notice the scowls that Matt, Caroline _and_ Elena sent her way as she kept on talking. "Just as long as I don't get stuck with bachelor number three—dated him in high school—not impressive," she said with a smirk and flitted away after patting Matt affectionately, hugging Elena again and pointedly ignoring Caroline—for the second time.

* * *

Damon leaned against the bar barely managing to keep the fake smile adhered to his face after he'd been propositioned, prodded, poked and with one particularly crafty old lady, groped in ways that almost made him blush. Damon had dubbed her the Octo-Granny because he swore she had more that two hands. The entire time he'd chatted with her he'd constantly had to grab a hand here—a hand there…and always there was the one grabbing at his privates. It had been quite exhausting really. Right before she'd left to sit at the stage, she'd shown him a purse full of cash, told him she was buying him for the night and had actually had the gall to ask him if he was a good breeder! He'd been too stunned to even reply. What the hell did they think this was? He wasn't a stud for sale. He grimaced as he thought about it—shit, maybe he was. He rolled his eyes. Great, but if he was…on stud, there was only _one_ mare in this room he wanted to mount. His eyes searched for and found her immediately. Elena.

"So what do you have planned for tonight?" Carol Lockwood asked, interrupting his thoughts as she slid up next to him and put her hand on his arm.

Damon wasn't used to being the hunted. He glanced down at her well manicured nails as she ran them up and down his forearm and his brows drew down. Her meaning was clear, she wanted him. He was starting to feel trapped by these women. "I was planning a romantic evening. You know, a midnight picnic—something woodsy," he said flashing his charm smile.

Carol's nails dug into his arm. "You're making me think I should make a bid."

He pulled his arm away without offending her "Well, you do run the place…"

She leaned forward, crowding him against the bar and as he backed away from her, Damon realized he really did _not_ like being the prey in this scenario. "I could always rig it, right—that way I'd make sure I got you," she said in a flirty, teasing voice, pressing even closer to him.

Damon couldn't back away any further, his spine was already pressed against the wooden lip of the bar. If Carol Lockwood got any closer they'd need a spatula to get her off him. He loosened his collar. "Um, well I'll let you handle that," he said, resisting the urge to just tear her throat out for making him feel so stalked. After the groping he'd suffered from Octo-Granny, this was too much and Damon was about ready to say screw his relationship with the council and leave. He'd never felt so cheap in his life! He might as well have a fucking price tag stamped on his ass—wait he did, didn't he? Shit! He saw Elena break from Stefan and he made his move. "I—pardon me," he said, not bothering with an explanation as he patted Carol on the shoulder in a somewhat clumsy show of affection before making his escape. Not his best, but he just couldn't take any more of it, especially when he saw 'Groping Granny' and her purse full of cash heading his way again.

He met Elena just as she was about to go into the ladies room. "You've got to help me—I can't do this," he whispered harshly, his voice taking on an almost pleading note.

Elena knew exactly what was bothering him. She'd watched the whole scene with Damon and the lonely ladies of Mystic Falls with varying emotions. She traveled the entire spectra from amusement to anger, but she'd especially giggled when Mrs. Bindley, the office worker at her school had grabbed more than just his ass. Damon's face had been priceless. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she raked them over him like he was a piece of meat. "Feeling a little worn out—already? But you haven't even been purchased yet," she teased, unable to resist bringing him down a peg or two.

"Ha-fucking ha, Elena," he snapped. "Can you save the teasing for later? I have a serious problem here."

"I know, Mrs. Bindley never spends her money—she probably has a small fortune saved up just to get you for a night!"

He frowned. "Mrs.—" His eyes widened with recognition. At this time Damon was extremely glad he was a vampire and didn't blush. "Oh, you mean Octo-Granny." He made a face. "I know. She has a whole purse full of money and way too many hands for my piece of mind." Elena laughed and he scowled at her. "This isn't funny."

"But it really is. You're always spouting off at being God's gift—well tonight you are. Why so glum?"

"If Grandma buys me, I'm going to end up killing her and I haven't killed anyone in…" He sighed, "Too long. I was getting comfortable here, but I—"

"You're not going to kill her, Damon," Elena said confidently.

His lip curled and he frowned. "Haven't you heard a word I've said? She's not a normal Grandma—she's…" He grimaced, "horny," he finished in a comical stage whisper.

"So? What do you want me to do? I can't make her not bid on you."

"I know, but you could bid on me," he said, his beautiful eyes clear and bright, blinking at her earnestly. It was the most sincere expression she'd ever seen Damon sport.

But it was to save his own ass--literally! she thought with a grin. Pushing aside her sympathy, she rolled her eyes, trying not to show just how thrilling she found that idea—nor did she want him to know she'd already come up with this Master Plan herself. "Why should I? You've been an ass to me, maybe it'd be fun to watch you get dragged away by…Octo-Granny or…" Elena pointed to the burly blond stacking beer cases at the back door of the bar. "I heard_ she_ wants to bid on you too."

Damon gaped. "Is that even a woman?"

"That's Massive Marge—she owns this place and from what Matt was saying, she's seen you in here before and thinks you're really hot." Elena watched as Damon's jaw tightened and a muscle ticked in his jaw as his eyes roamed the really, really big tattooed woman he'd always assumed was a long haired man. "She emptied the till tonight--just for you," Elena taunted, knowing it was mean to tease him like this, but it was usually him who had her spinning, so this role reversal was refreshing.

Just then the massive woman looked up. Her homely face broke into a gaped tooth grin when she noticed Damon staring at her and without breaking eye contact, she made a lewd gesture with her fingers and tongue, and then blew him a kiss. "I'll be seeing you tonight," she said, but to Damon it came off as a threat.

His jaw dropped. This was intolerable. He was the predator--not the other way around. But in this instance he was well and truly crippled--he couldn't kill off any of these people--it was too public. His stomach cramped as he thought of the crude sexual finger gesture she'd given him. It wasn't going to happen. There was no way he was putting his face between those muscular thighs. He made a face. Ugh. No way. He felt sick. Since he couldn't kill any of them—there was only one option left. Run. "That's it! I'm out of here," he snapped, turning away from Elena to make his escape.

That wasn't what Elena wanted so she grabbed his arm to stop him. "Wait—okay, say I did bid on you…what do I get in return?"

In a flash the panic left his voice and that seductive purr she was used to was back. "What do you want?" he asked running his knuckles along her shoulder.

Suppressing a shiver at his touch, Elena managed to smirk instead of falling at his feet and telling him she lusted after him too. "I'll let you know," she said as she breezed into the ladies room, leaving him standing there in the hallway outside the bathrooms. "When or _if_ I bid on you," she said over her shoulder before the door swung closed, giggling when she heard him growl in response.

Damon's jaw tightened as he watched the door swing open and shut-open and shut before it stayed closed. He wanted to follow her inside and demand to know what she meant by if! Like he couldn't sense her desire—hell he could smell it all over her every time he got anywhere close to her. She wanted him—why did she even have to think about winning a date with him? He pushed away from the wall, intending to go find a quiet corner and take up Stefan's role of the brooder until the dreaded auction when Octo-Granny turned the corner of the hall and stopped him dead in his tracks.

"There you are" she howled and quicker than Damon would have believed possible for someone her age she barreled her way towards him. He turned to run out the back, but Massive Marge was standing there. Was she licking her lips? Damon wasn't sure, but her large frame _was_ blocking his exit and he didn't miss the come hither look she gave him—it made his stomach churn.

"Damon—Damon Salvatore!" they both called and he froze, trapped in the hallway like a delicious little mouse between two over-weight, over-aged housecats. This wasn't how he was going out, and with as much dignity as he could muster, Damon did the only thing he could in a crowded restaurant—he ducked into the men's room and hid.

* * *

Barely containing her amusement, Elena gripped her bidding paddle and pulled her chair front and center at the stage where the bachelors would be auctioned off. Though she hadn't seen hide nor hair of poor Damon since he'd gotten the bum rush in the hallway, (yes, she'd heard it all) she knew he'd show. He wanted to stay in Mystic Falls and he'd given his word to the Sheriff to participate tonight. He'd have his sexy ass up on that stage even if it killed him—which had he gotten crunched between Massive Marge and Mrs. Bindley—it might have—killed him, that is.

"Are you bidding?" Stefan asked, taking note of the numbered paddle in her hand and trying to appear casual as he took a seat next to her.

Elena bit her lip—it was like the fun had just got sucked right out of her night. Why did he have to be such a 'Buzz-Kill-Bob' all the time? She'd felt an affinity for it at first because she was depressed about her parents, but now…she was coming out of that and she wanted to be her old self again. The fun Elena. The one who loved life and lived it to the fullest no matter what, not the Elena she'd become. She was tired of moping and brooding with Stefan, listening to him lament about how he hated what he was. Sometimes she just wanted to shake him and say, 'get over it already! You are what you are now deal!' But then she'd feel guilty for that and the whole brooding cycle would start again. But not this time—they were 'officially' on a break and Elena wanted to have a good time.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I am," she said surprising not only him, but herself at how confident she sounded.

"Who are you bidding on?"

Elena swallowed. Now this could get tricky. "Um…" She shrugged and said as casually as she could, "Well, your brother naturally. We can't have some woman getting a date with him—who knows what could happen!"

Stefan's eyes widened before they narrowed and he inhaled her scent. "You should have just told me you wanted him," he growled and got up from the chair.

Elena grabbed his arm. "I—it's complicated. I'm so tired of being sad and depressed. Please, I do love you, but I—well me and Damon have something too," she admitted.

He nodded. "I know. I've seen it since Atlanta." He took a deep breath and once again calm, trusty Stefan was back in control. Elena was almost disappointed—for a moment there he had fire in his eyes and it was sexy, but now…now his hum-drum-doom and gloom look was back and he gave her that gentle smile that was a key in making her feel guilty—now it was getting on her nerves. "I trust you to do the right thing," he said softly, running his hand down her hair. "But I hope you don't mind if I don't stay and watch."

Elena couldn't help but notice that he said that as if _HE_ was making the sacrifice. Anger rushed forth and she gritted her teeth—all these things were reasons why they broke up. She'd just never examined them so thoroughly. But now wasn't the time to have this out. Let him go home and mope—Yay for him. She was staying right here. "I understand. I'll see you later," she said, glancing up at him as he hovered over her chair. She watched as a look of surprise came over his face and it only made her more determined. He'd actually expected her to go with the guilt and leave with him. Well, not this time—no more shame for Elena, she thought.

Stefan made some kind of reply, but it was drowned out when the crowd began to hoot and holler as Carol Lockwood took the stage. Elena glanced up to ask him what he'd said, but he was gone. Her brows drew down and she scowled for a second before she let it go. Fine—let him play the victim. She so wasn't going to dwell on Stefan's trauma and drama tonight. She'd told him she just wanted to have fun—guess he forgot that _didn't _usually include a sermon about doing the right thing!

Just then the bachelors came out and Elena's thoughts scattered as Damon strode across the stage like he owned it. He looked hot with his hair mussed, sans jacket and with his shirt half-way open down his chest. He looked almost too sexy, but rumpled, like he'd been manhandled by Massive Marge. Elena felt guilty. Maybe she should have stayed, but then he gave her a wink and struck a pose that was hotter than any male model she'd ever seen and she grinned. He was fine. Damon was like that—he bounced back. He didn't whine and mope—well he had been lately, but that was a little more understandable, but even in his moodiness, he was still electric. He sparked and Elena wanted to touch the lightning—hold it in her arms at least once before she decided what she really wanted in her life.

It was like he knew what she was thinking because that smirk that she was honestly beginning to love spread across his face and he flipped open another button of his shirt—much to Elena's_ and_ the howling ladies in the audience's pleasure.

**Okay guys, the next part is going to be the bidding and the "date". Will Elena win or will Octo-Granny get all eight hands on out hero? *gasp* Yikes—maybe Massive Marge will win—or even Kelly Donovan. NO! I hear you screaming—say it isn't so! Well, you'll just have to stay tuned till tomorrow won't you? Same TVD time—same TVD channel…**

_**Now**_** feed the musie be-yatch so she'll crank out some more chappies, okay? :) :) :) Oh…Did I mention I love you guys? No? Sheesh, what a bad author I am! Well, I do. I truly love each and every one of you who R&R…now give musie her brownies. :) :) ;) ;) **

**Xoxo**

**Jen**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Auction **

**A fic by Jen**

**Rating: M**

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters—well I do own Octo-Granny, but alas—not the character I'd like to own, right? lol! Oh the things I'd do with—to—Damon if I owned him…*sighs and stares off into space dreamily* Ooops, sorry, got sidetracked. Where was I? Right—I don't own them so don't sue me, okay? **

**A/N: Wow, you guys blow me away with your reviews and feedback. Thanks so much. Some of your reviews had me cracking up! Seriously I laughed my a$$ off reading a lot of them and I'm glad you all took this fic in the manner in which it was intended—lighthearted fun. We all know in the show Damon would just compel them or most likely leave, but this was so much more fun, right? I'm tickled that you all are enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it!**

**Okay enough of my chatter—on with the show.**

**xoxo**

**Jen**

* * *

Part 2

**The Mystic Grill:**

Damon breathed a sigh of relief when he came out on stage and saw Elena in the front row holding a bidding paddle. He knew she wouldn't let him down, well, he'd hoped and maybe even prayed a bit too actually, and who could blame him? When he'd finally figured it was safe to come out of the men's room, he'd been stunned and (though he'd never admit it) horrified to see Massive Marge and Octo Granny, (the gruesome twosome) waiting for him, blocking his path back to the main part of the restaurant. He almost turned around and scurried back into the bathroom, but then pride had reared its ugly head. He was a vampire dammit! And not just any vampire—he was Damon Salvatore. He didn't tuck his tail and run—that was Stefan's gig, not his. He squared his shoulders and determinedly decided to brave it out. He'd just politely walk past them, he decided. No problem. Just a few feet and he'd be in the clear. Hindsight may be twenty-twenty, but it was also ridiculously unfair, if he'd only known what a bad idea that was going to be. Stupid pride!

***Previously***

Octo-Granny and Massive Marge were in a heated debate over who was going to win the date with the gorgeous Damon Salvatore when the object of their discussion (and fantasies) finally made an appearance. Damon paused watching the two (women) and he was using the term loosely—Terminators was more like it, as they argued over him. He clenched his jaw. They hadn't seen him yet so he had a few choices—run out the back door and escape like a coward, which, considering his prior run-ins with these two wasn't as embarrassing as it might have seemed. Option two, he could move with vamp speed past them and be in the clear, but then someone might see that and all hell would break loose. Or three, and this was what his pride was egging him towards, he could simply gather the tattered remnants of his dignity together, calmly walk down the hallway and face his tormentors. He'd honestly rather face a whole slew of Slayers--especially if they looked anything like Buffy, but he'd been hunted down like a fox. Chased into his hole like a rabbit and Damon needed to heal his bruised ego, even if going anywhere near the two lust-addled stalkers held about as much appeal for him as running a gauntlet filled with vervain laced stakes.

Before he made a move though, his decision was taken away when they spotted him. "Damon! Oooohh Daaaammon!" They screeched his name like tawdry fish-wives hawking their wares at an outdoor market, making Damon's sensitive ears ring.

He winced as they advanced upon him. Shit! No way out now. He plastered on a ridiculously fake smile and braved the gauntlet. "Ladies," he said with as much civility as he could muster, considering these two women scared him in a way usually reserved for sharp pointy branches and vervain!

"We've been waiting for you," they said in unison.

"I see," he said. As if he didn't know that—why did they think he'd been hiding?! He rolled his eyes. "That's…" about as appetizing as eating road-kill was his first thought. "Nice," he said instead. He turned to the side and attempted to squeeze past them when one of Octo's many hands grabbed his arm. Damon's jaw tightened, he'd seriously had enough of being groped by her. "Um…I need to get to—" His words ground to a halt when the oh-so intimidating Marge grabbed his other arm.

The two women faced off. Damon glanced from one to the other and the hairs on his neck rose when they both tightened their grips and prepared to hang on. You could almost hear the music from one of those cheesy westerns as the women faced off, each of them determined to keep the prize

Oh shit, Damon thought as he realized he was about to become the booty in a tug-o-war match.

"He's mine!" Marge said, giving him a yank.

"No he's not!" Octo growled, pulling him towards her.

"You've got to be kidding me," Damon choked, as they started yanking him back and forth like he was the last support bra at a Wal-Mart clearance sale!

There was a loud *rrripping* sound as Damon's jacket tore. That was Armani! Damon growled and he was seriously considering which he was going to kill first, when before a sharp voice broke in, startling all three of the willing and (un-willing) participants in the match.

"Ladies what in the world are you doing?!"

Damon's head shot up and when he spotted the Sherriff standing there looking dolled up in a dress he could have kissed her. He'd never been so grateful to see anyone in his life! "If you keep yanking on him like that, I'm going to have to book you two for assault," she threatened.

Chastised, they let him go and it took all of Damon's control not to break into a run and escape the whole scene, but he managed to maintain his self respect and sauntered away as if he hadn't just played the role of rope in tug-o-war.

"Thank you," he said to the Sherriff as his tormentors meandered away towards the stage, casting him longing glances over their shoulders. He shuddered. "I need a drink," he growled.

"I bet you do," she said. "Look if you want to drop out—I'll understand. I didn't realize…well, let's just say I'm embarrassed at some of the reactions you're getting."

Damon grinned. "I tend to have that affect on women…" Now that the immediate danger to his person was over, his normal cockiness rose again. "You look smashing!" he said exaggeratedly, feeling especially charitable towards her after her timely rescue.

She flushed with pleasure. "Thank you, Damon," she said softly. She discreetly checked him out, frowning suddenly when she got to his shoulders. "They tore your jacket," she noted, pointing to his sleeve.

He nodded. "I know, I heard it," he said and shrugged off the jacket.

The Sherriff sighed. "They're really not bad people…they're just—"

Damon made a face as he noticed the third and fourth buttons on his shirt were missing too. "Looking for love in all the wrong places?" he muttered as he flipped open the second button. He sighed as he noticed how much skin he was showing now—great, now he actually_ looked_ like a gigolo!

The Sheriff turned away from all that hard male flesh with a blush. "I guess," she agreed with a nervous laugh. As if suddenly remembering why she'd sought him out, she held out a folder. "Oh! I have that information you wanted on the history teacher…"

"Really?" Damon took the file on Alaric Saltzman. "What's his story?"

"Nothing much—it checks out. Not even a speeding ticket, but it turns out it's kind of a rough story. His wife went missing a few years back in North Carolina."

"North Carolina?" Damon asked as he studied the file.

"Yeah her name was Isobel," the Sheriff said pointing to a picture attached to the file.

Bells went off. It was the same women Stefan had brow beaten him about earlier. Damon smirked, and handed the file back to the Sherriff. "Well, thanks for doing that. I feel better now," he said, tucking the information he'd learned in that folder away to be used at a later date. Just then Carol Lockwood's voice could be heard over the microphone announcing the start of the Auction.

Damon straightened his somewhat tattered shirt, "How do I look?"

She smiled. "You don't need me to tell you you're a catch, Damon."

He winked. "Wish me luck." He paused before leaving for the stage. "By the way, if Octo-Granny or Massive Marge win—just pull your gun out and shoot me will you? It'd be far less cruel than making me go on a date with them!"

**present time**

Damon's relief didn't last long when the rest of the front row was quickly taken up by his tormentors. He made a face and shuddered with revulsion as the gruesome twosome took up positions on each end of the row as if making sure he couldn't escape up either aisle if they won the bid. He was never more thankful of being a vampire than he was at that moment because the way those two were eating him up with their eyes, it was like they already had him naked in their minds, and Damon had no doubts he'd be standing up here blushing like a new bride if it wasn't for the fact that he_ couldn't_ blush.

*a short while later*

"Now this last bachelor is from one of the Founding Families. He's young, and as you can all see handsome, but he's also involved in charity work with the council...ladies I give you…Damon Salvatore."

Carol Lockwood stuck the microphone under his mouth. "Tell us a little bit about yourself, Damon. We don't have much on you."

He noticed Elena's eyes on him. "Well, I'm tough to fit on a card…" Damon replied with a smirk.

"Do you have any hobbies—like to travel?" Carol Lockwood prompted.

"Oh yeah, I love to travel. I've been all over the world…"

"But you're back here in Mystic Falls, why?"

"Something about home," he said. "It's just compelling." His eyes sought out Elena's and they locked. "It just draws me in. No matter where I've roamed I always come back here."

"So what's your idea of a romantic date, Damon?" Carols asked.

He grinned. "Something secluded—maybe on the beach. A candlelit table for two with the sound of the waves crashing on the shore as music—lots of flowers—candles—good food." He smiled. "I love modern technology, but I'm really an old-fashioned kind of guy."

"Well…" Carol Lockwood sighed, fanning herself with the cards. "It seems Southern charm hasn't completely dissipated after all. We have ourselves a real southern gentleman here," she said, playing to the crowd.

Damon winked at the audience. "Romance isn't dead, ladies—it's just been pushed aside for quick thrills. I like to take it slow—no going in for the quick kill, if you know what I mean? I like it to last—mean something. Make every date special."

Carol Lockwood licked her lips. "That's—" Her voice was breathless, "wonderful. Who'll start the bidding?" she said, fanning herself again as she turned away from Damon and his potent sex-appeal.

Elena couldn't help the thrill that shot through her at his words. Damon could be sinfully seductive when he put his mind to it and he'd obviously given his answer some thought—it had the desired effect. Her heart rate accelerated as the bidding got under way…

"Five hundred," Kelly Donovan said, causing Matt to glare at her as she offered up her part of the rent for a date with Damon Salvatore.

"Six hundred," Elena said, and Matt's eyes flew to her in stunned disbelief.

Octo Granny raised her paddle. "One thousand dollars!" she announced, her chin raised at a pugnacious angle.

"Eleven hundred!" massive Marge countered, glowering at her competition.

Matt glared at his mother as if saying 'if you dare…we're through!' Kelly wisely backed down and got up and left.

Damon swallowed as the hot cougar left the playing field. That left only Elena and the gruesome twosome. He glared at Elena and surreptitiously signaled her to keep bidding. She frowned and mimed pulling out her pockets in a Charlie Chaplin display of 'No-more-money'.

"I'll pay you back," he mouthed to her.

Elena pretended ignorance for a while as MM and Octo bid amongst themselves. Finally at Thirty five hundred dollars, Massive Marge backed off. Mrs. Bindley rubbed her hands together and Damon loosened his collar, getting Elena's attention and giving her more than a few not so subtle hints to bid again.

She waited—drawing it out instead. Let him sweat, she thought, suppressing her giggle when Damon began to fidget. Carol Lockwood waited for another bid before warning the other bidders with the going once—going twice... At that moment, many things happened simultaneously; Damon began to huff audibly, glaring at Elena, practically screaming at her with his eyes to bid again. Octo Granny licked her lips, already seeing visions of getting the hot young stud alone. Carol Lockwood's face clearly said what a shame it was that someone as vital as Damon was going home with Mrs. Bindley. The Sherriff stood up, thinking of ways she could place Granny under arrest and therefore rescue Damon. Caroline Forbes laughed and told Matt if anyone deserved Mrs. Bindley it was Damon.

All of that stopped when Elena stood up. She raised her paddle high. "Five thousand dollars!" she stated in a loud, clear voice. The room seemed to freeze and every head turned to Elena. In that moment it was clear she shouldn't have waited so long. Now _she _was the spectacle—not Damon.

Carol Lockwood's jaw dropped. Five thousand was an unheard of amount, but her face suddenly lit up as she realized she was about to host the most profitable founder's day fundraiser—ever! Damon's reaction to Elena's bid was immediate and obvious as his body nearly wilted with relief at the reprieve. Massive Marge glowered jealously, but kept her paddle in her lap. Mrs. Bindley looked ready to pummel Elena into next week, but after Carol Lockwood gave the determined granny a firm, 'No, we do _not_ take checks,' the aging groupie didn't raise her paddle again. Instead she sank back in her chair mumbling angrily to herself.

Meanwhile, Elena kept her eyes straight ahead as Carol said the proverbial going once—twice—sold! She could actually _feel_ each and every shocked stare burning a hole in her back as she won Damon Salvatore as her date.

**Later**

Now that he was alleviated of the fear of having to 'date' Octo-Granny, Damon was feeling more like his old self again. He cornered Elena in the hallway to discuss their upcoming evening and Elena couldn't help but notice the satisfied smirk he was sporting on his handsome face—it made her want to smack it right off his face.

He leaned a shoulder against the wall, the glass of whiskey that he never seemed to be without now-a-days, in his hand. He took a sip. "So when do you want me to pick you up?" he asked with a far too smirk-like smile.

She gave a dramatic roll of her eyes. "You can't seriously think we're really going on a date?" she asked in surprise.

He reached out, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and kept right on grinning. "Of course I can, because we are." She gaped at him and he had the nerve to chuckle in response. She huffed indignantly, but he simply shook his head. "Elena," he chided, "we're members of the founding families—this is a council charity event. We have to follow it through…" He leaned down so that their lips were only inches apart. "To the bitter end if need be," he taunted softly.

Breathless, Elena yanked her head back. She had the insane urge to taste those lips again and he was far too close for her piece of mind, not to mention her heart rate. "But I-I—"

His brow shot up. "You-you—what?" he mocked.

She bit her lip and looked away from those mesmerizing aqua eyes. "I don't want to," she said weakly.

He made a *tsking* sound. "Oh come on—you have a lot of disgusting human frailties, Elena, but being a coward isn't one of them," he told her honestly. "You're also not a liar. You_ do_ want to—and that's what scares you the most." His eyes raked over her, nodding to himself as if seeing the answer he sought there. "I'll pick you up tomorrow at 3:00. Be ready," he said over his shoulder before he sauntered out of the Grille and into the night.

Elena's eyes narrowed, she thought about refusing, but he was right they were part of the Founder's celebration—it was one of the duties of being a founding family. Her mother and father had told her that time and again—it was a lesson she wasn't willing to just blow off since it had been so important to them. She sighed—there wasn't a way out. She'd have to go on the date…

Gilbert House:

Jenna was in the kitchen when the doorbell rang.

Elena ran to the top of the stairs. "Oh my God I'm so not ready!" she wailed. "Jenna—help!"

Jenna laughed as she went to the door. "Okay, before you have a melt down…I'll get this—you get ready," she said laughing. She opened the door and had to stop herself from giving a wolf whistle at the sight of Damon, impeccably dressed in an all black Armani suit and tie. He wore the black suit on black shirt sinfully well and the blood red rose he held in one hand gave him a dramatic, romantic flair that made Jenna's heart pound. Wow, was all she could think as she stepped back to let him in. "Elena isn't quite ready," she said peering around Damon's shoulder to take a look at the stretch limo parked in front of the house.

Damon smiled. "Ahh, she's already mastered the art of being fashionably late? Nice," he said with a wink.

Jenna nodded. "You know us women…can't seem to eager, right? Or else you guys just seem to run the other way." She headed for the kitchen. "Want something to drink while you wait?"

Damon followed, "Sure. What do you have?"

Jenna could feel those eyes on her and turned to look at him over her shoulder, she blushed at the knowing look he had on his face as if he knew he made her pulse accelerate. "Um—wine—whiskey—vodka..." She pulled out several bottles and set them on the center island. "Choose your poison," she said, trying to keep the breathlessness out of her voice.

Damon leaned a hip against the counter. "Bourbon—neat."

Jenna nodded, poured him a drink and then before he could reduce her to a stammering schoolgirl, she said she'd go and see what was keeping Elena. She pretended she didn't hear his little chuckle as she practically ran out of the kitchen…

**Upstairs:**

Elena was just finishing the touches on her make-up when Jenna opened the bathroom door and poked her head in. "He's here," she whispered. "And oh my God can I just say—wow! That man should have a warning label stamped across his chest!"

Elena swallowed. "Huh?" she said, applying her lip gloss.

"Elena he's dressed in Armani—he has a limo waiting and my God, he oozes sex appeal—are you sure this is a good idea for you to be going out with him?"

"I had to," Elena replied dropping her gloss in her purse and snapping it shut. "Did you see the crazies after him? Mrs. Bindley went all stalker-granny on him. I felt sorry for him."

Jenna gave a small snort that sounded suspiciously like a 'yeah-right', but covered it with a cough when Elena frowned at her. "_So_," she said, "any idea where's he's taking you?"

"No," Elena replied with a shake of her head. "But knowing Damon—it could be anywhere so I wore a dress, but brought jeans in my bag." She gave herself another once over in the mirror before turning to Jenna. "Okay, so how do I look?"

Jenna smiled as she took in Elena's sleek black dress. It was silk, with a lacey, asymmetric skirt that flared when you walked. The neckline was deep and rounded and to give it the 'va-room' it needed to make it breathtaking; it was backless. You had to have a great body to pull this dress off and Elena had just the figure for it. Jenna couldn't help but think Damon would be more than pleasantly surprised, he'd be stunned and—her thoughts stopped there. Her niece and the stud-muffin downstairs locked in a kiss wasn't a visual she wanted in her head. "You look gorgeous," she said. Elena's face flushed and Jenna hugged her. "Just wait, his jaw is going to hit the floor," she whispered before letting Elena go.

Elena froze. "Maybe I should change—I don't want him to think I got all dressed up—"

Jenna held up a hand. "He's dressed in Armani—didn't say that already?" Elena nodded and Jenna crossed her arms, surveying her niece admiringly. "Believe me. You two will look magnificent together."

Elena ran her fingers through her long locks nervously. "This isn't Stefan I'm going out with tonight—you realize that right?"

"Definitely," Jenna concurred. Her brow shot up and she smirked. "I don't ever remember Stefan showing up looking quite that delicious or sporting a limo that would make even the Fells' stand up and take notice."

"He's just trying to show off," Elena said, but she was smiling, glad that Damon had made an effort to make this a "date-date".

"And he's succeeded," Jenna said, handing Elena her purse. "Now get going—fashionably late is one thing. Much longer and you're just a bitch!" she teased.

"Fine-fine," Elena said, laughing softly as she left the bathroom. She paused at the top of the stairs, her hand on the railing as she glanced down to see Damon waiting there. Their eyes met and her heart stopped. Jenna had said he looked sinfully delicious, but that didn't quite do him justice. He looked _so_ handsome; Elena couldn't quite catch her breath. Her eyes roamed his body, taking in the suit, sexy bedroom eyes and the rose…she finally breathed and wondered how she was ever going to get through the night without falling at his feet and making an ass out of herself. Damon was always sexy, but tonight, looking the way he did, he was positively lethal.

It was his all-too-knowing smirk that finally made the neurons in her brain fire, signaling her legs to move. "Um…hi," she said, wetting her lips as she made her way down the stairs.

He took her hand and brought it to his lips. "He-llo Elena. You look…delicious." He made it sound like a caress and she shivered. He produced the rose with one hand while managing to tuck her arm into his with the other. "Ready?" he asked with a smile.

Oh God, Elena said to herself. No! Definitely not! But she managed to keep her cool. "Sure," she said, taking a deep breath to still her racing heart.

Jenna came down the stairs. "Call me if you'll be coming after than midnight."

Damon paused at the door and turned, bringing Elena with him. "Oh, I'll make sure she does," he said with a devilish gleam in his eye that made Elena flush red and roll her eyes even as Jenna paused as if wondering if he was meaning what she thought he meant, but before she could ask, they were gone. She got down the stairs and opened the door just in time to see the limo pull away.

"He didn't say what I thought he did, did he?" she murmured as watched the huge black car make a left at the end of the street.

* * *

"So where are we going?" Elena asked as she settled back into the plush leather seat.

Damon reached across her lap to grab the bottle of Cristal champagne chilling in a silver ice bucket. "South Carolina," he said casually as he began to unwrap the metal foil on the bottle.

"Huh?" Elena asked, surprised and showing it.

"Did I stutter?" he said, tossing the foil aside and tackling the wire net that kept the volatile cork in place.

"No, but why is it every time we go anywhere it's out of state?"

He put the little metal net in the ash-tray. "The better to eat you there, my dear," he said with a wicked grin just as he popped the cork on the bottle. Foam and champagne erupted from the bottle in a gush and Elena squealed as some of it sprayed onto her.

"Shit!" he said wiping at his own shirt. They glanced at each other. Damon's lashes were wet and spiky. Elena's hair had suffered too. It was hilarious and they both started laughing at the same time.

Damon grabbed two crystal flutes and poured them each a glass of the bubbly alcohol. "I guess it's a good thing I have a private dinner planned because we both smell like a couple of drunken fools right about now!"

Elena was still grinning when Damon handed her the glass. "What should we toast to?" she asked.

"How about we toast to the beginning of a new relationship…" he teased.

Her smile slowly faded. "Why?"

"Because this is a monumental occasion—here you are…on a date with me, while Saint Stefan sits home and broods…" He tilted his head to the side and that little half smile was back. "That alone deserves a toast!" he said with a wink.

Elena rolled her eyes at the way he taunted his brother, but she raised her glass. "To our first…" she paused, wanting to wipe that smirk off his face, "and last date."

He rolled his eyes, but downed his glass just as she did. He poured them another glass. "To honesty—the truth is always better than fiction, right?"

Elena gave him a strange look, but drank her champagne. "To letting go. Sometimes it's better than hanging on to something that'll never be," she said, smirking at him as the barb struck home. They both downed their glasses.

He refilled again. "I want to drink to tonight…" His magnetic aqua eyes danced as he stared at her. "May it be everything we _both_ want it to be."

Elena's hand froze mid-air and she didn't sip her champagne. He frowned. "Why are you playing this game with me?" he asked softly, taking the glass from her hand. "We both know it's over between you and Stefan. You love him, Elena, but you're not _in love_ with him anymore. He doesn't make you shiver and shake, not like I do," he whispered huskily. Elena bit back her moan as he pressed her back into the seat, his hands sliding up her bare arm to play with her collar bone. "We both know if I wanted to I could have you right here—right now and you'd give in. I can hear your heart—I can feel your pulse jump every time I touch you."

His hypnotic voice lulled her into a mesmerized sense of lethargy. Her body was throbbing—she was getting wet and he was right. She wanted him—had for a very long time. "Damon," she said it as a whine, pushing at his chest. "Stop it."

But Damon was a predator. He sensed his prey's weakening resolve. Quicker than she could blink he was blanketing her body with his own. "You know you want to kiss me…" he whispered against her lips, "so go ahead, do it," he told her, licking his lips enticingly. "Kiss me."

With a soft sigh, Elena gave in to temptation and pressed her lips to his. It was like an explosion of butterflies went off in her tummy. Heat unlike anything she'd ever known raced along her nerve endings, pooling in her belly and making that place between her legs pulse and throb with a desire she'd never felt before. Elena whimpered and tunneled her fingers in his hair as she opened her mouth to his kiss. Their tongues mated, entwined—tasted each other with a hunger that had been too long denied. It was almost painful, the emptiness in her belly that demanded something to satisfy it. She fell back on the seat, clinging to Damon as he followed after her. Her body hummed, need like she'd never known swarmed over her, lowering inhibitions and making her willing to do things she might not have done with a clear head.

"Please…" she moaned, opening her legs as he settled between them. The bulge in his pants pressed tightly against her core and Elena arched under him. "Oh God!" she gasped, panting and sweating as they ground against each other.

Damon clenched his jaw. The animal in him wanted to just take her—damn the consequences. She wrapped her thighs around his hips, pressing that sweet spot against the raging hard on he was sporting and and he had to suppress the urge to rip her clothes off and just get inside. He stopped himself. This was Elena, not some sorority girl he wanted to fuck for a night. Something was between them—he wasn't sure what it was yet, but it was there. Powerful and potent, maybe even more potent than what he had with Katherine even…

"Damon…" she breathed in his ear and he groaned low and deep, trying to keep his vampire instincts at bay.

"Elena," he gasped as she tilted her hips and rubbed herself against his erection. "You have to stop, or I won't be able to," he said softly, cupping her face.

"Don't wanna stop," she said licking his ear.

It was too much. Damon gave a tiny thrust of his hips against her hot center. He could feel the wetness there—could smell her arousal and it had him painfully hard, but he didn't want her like this—in the back seat of a car. A quickie here might satisfy the baser needs he was feeling right now, but it wouldn't give him what he wanted…Elena; naked, laid out on a bed in all her glory begging him to fuck her…It might be silly to wait, but it was his fantasy and he was sticking to it.

"Elena—stop—fuck stop!" he gasped, levering himself off her. He was shaking with the need to pound himself into her. He collapsed against the seat doing his best to ignore the little whimpering noises she was making when suddenly red and blue flashing lights appeared behind them. Damon turned his head to stare out the back window. "Shit!" he snapped, straightening his clothes. "Elena get up—we're about to have some very unwelcome company, sweetheart," he said with a grimace. He waited for her to sit up. She looked dazed and he could totally relate.

"Is that…? Oh God, why are the police behind us?" she asked as she starte3d to fix her clothes.

"I haven't a clue," Damon said as he helped her to rearrange the bodice of her dress before rolling down the privacy screen between the driver and the back. "Jeez man, how fast you going?" he asked, scowling at this turn of events.

As if it had hit her how close she'd come to begging him to have sex, Elena had retreated away from him and was now firmly ensconced at the other end of the seat. Damon glanced at her, she looked positively mutinous. Dammit! He glared at the driver, thoroughly pissed. "Getting pulled over wasn't on the agenda as far as I can remember…"

"Mr. Salvatore, I was doing the speed limit—I have no idea why we're being pulled over," the chauffer replied.

"Well fix it," Damon snapped and rolled the window back up before he gave into his baser urges and just ripped the guy's throat out for spoiling what was a monumental moment for him and Elena.

They pulled over to the side of the highway and the police cruiser eased up behind them. The siren was cut, but the bright blue and red lights of the cruiser flashing behind them made the inside of the limo look like a tiny nightclub. Elena huddled back in the soft leather seat as the police officer walked over to Damon's side of the car. There was a tap on Damon's window and he glanced at her, frowning. "Why is he knocking on my window?" he said to himself as much as to Elena. She was still trying to come to grips with being torn from intense pleasure to this so she just stared at him numbly. He rolled the window down. "Um…officer I think you want to talk to—hey—what the—shit!" he sputtered as a hand reached in and pulled him right through the window.

Elena's jaw dropped and she scurried across the seat, opening the door just in time to see Damon being held aloft by the tiny police officer and being shaken like a rag doll by none other than…

"Mrs. Bindley!" Elena shouted, stumbling from the car and running across the deserted highway towards them.

Damon finally broke Octo-Granny's powerful grip. "She's a vampire, Elena—stay back!" Damon snarled, dropping t the ground. Damon didn't bother to ponder the bizarreness of the situation. He simply lowered his shoulder and charged the wizened little old lady vamp that was seriously becoming a pain in his ass.

Elena gasped as they sailed across the road with Damon landing on top. Seeing him pummeling Mrs. Bindley was disturbing, but seeing Mrs. Bindley's fangs erupt as he hit her was even more so! Damon's eyes turned black too and they growled at each other.

"Is there anything with wood in it in the trunk?" she asked the driver, but he was just staring at Damon and Vamp-Granny with bulging, stunned eyes. He'd be no help. Elena grabbed his keys and went to the trunk, opening it quickly. She searched for and found something viable to use. It was a crappy little hammer—it only took a few wild swings at the ground to send the "hammer" part of the hammer flying.

Meanwhile Damon was wrestling around on the ground with the newly discovered vampire Octo-Granny. "What the hell do you want?" he growled.

"You!" she snarled back. "She said I could have you!"

He gaped. "What? You're kidding right?" He squeezed her throat harder, banging her head off the ground over and over until she started to howl. He released her and jumped to his feet. "You followed us—attacked us because you—what—wanted me?" He made a face of utter disgust as he realized how seriously bad tonight could have gone had she won the bid, until he realized what she'd said. "Who? Who said you could have me?"

Just then Elena rammed the wooden handle of the hammer into Octo-vamp's heart. The aged vampire withered quickly, falling to the ground with a groan. Damon scowled, realizing he wasn't getting any of the answers to his questions. "Why'd you do that?" he snapped at Elena.

Elena stumbled back shooting him a confused look. "Because she wanted to hurt you!" she yelled at him, hurt and angry at his tone.

Damon stopped as it dawned on him she'd just killed for him. "Elena," he said softly. "I'm sorry." He opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace.

"She was a vampire…" she mumbled into his chest. "How come you didn't know?"

One arm wrapped around her waist while the other petted her head soothingly. "It doesn't work that way. We can't smell each other…" he sighed, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Plus in a place like the Grill—so many heartbeats…it all blends together. It's too hard to tell one heart beat from another."

She raised her head. "You say you can scent me, yet how is that you couldn't tell she was a vampire?"

He shrugged. "Well, I was more concerned with where her hands were going than a heartbeat, first of all," he said with a smirk. "She had a lot of hands…" Elena grinned. "And second, I know your scent, Elena. I could smell you in a room even if you were with two hundred other women."

She leaned back and made a face. "Okay, I'm not sure if that is a compliment or an eew kind of thing," she said scrunching up her nose.

He laughed before he noticed the driver still standing there staring at them like they were all insane lunatics. "Shit," he muttered. "Wait here," he said and with blurring vamp speed he was across the road and in front of the driver.

Elena watched as he grabbed the man's face in his hands. Damon began speaking to him in a low, hypnotic way and within moments the man was all smiles again. While the driver fixed the non-existent flat tire, Damon dragged Mrs. Bindley off the road and down into the brush growing along the highway, come morning she'd burn up and disintegrate, so he wasn't too worried about her being found.

When Damon returned, the driver opened his door. "Got that tire fixed Mr. Salvatore. Are we ready to go?"

"Totally," Damon said and helped Elena back into the limo, climbing in after her. He wondered who had put Octo-vamp on his trail, but he refused to let it ruin his night. He had something very special planned for Elena and if her actions from earlier was any indication—he'd definitely be using the cabana he'd rented earlier. After tonight Elena would know it was him she wanted and not his whiny brother…of that, Damon was absolutely determined.

They'd been driving for a few hours, drinking champagne and making idle chit-chat, both of them avoiding the 'almost-sex' they'd had, when Elena finally asked, "Where in South Carolina are you taking me, Damon?"

He poured himself another glass of Cristal. "A perfect place for us, Elena…" he told her, continuing the air of mystery.

"But where is that exactly?" she asked.

The driver beeped the intercom just then and Damon smiled, "Hold that thought," he said as he hit the intercom button. "Yeah?" he asked.

"Folly Beach is right up here on the left, sir. Did you want to make a stop before that?"

Elena giggled. "Folly Beach!" Damon rolled his eyes as his surprise was blown, but Elena's smiling face made his undead heart lift. "You're taking me to Folly Beach for a date?"

"I thought it fitting," he said as they pulled into a secluded parking lot. The driver opened their door and Damon got out before taking Elena's arm himself and helping her out of the car. He leaned against the car and took off his shoes.

"What are you doing?" Elena asked.

"Taking my shoes off—our cabana is right on the beach and unless you want to ruin those Jimmy Choos—you better take em off," he said.

Elena wasn't sure what stunned her more, the fact that he knew her shoes were Jimmy Choos or the fact that he'd had a cabana set up for them right on the beach. She decided she didn't care—Damon was showing a side of himself she'd never seen before and it was making her see possibilities where there hadn't been before tonight.

She immediately undid the strappy sandals. "Okay—I'm ready."

He paused, meeting her eyes directly. "Are you?"

Elena's breath caught. They weren't talking about shoes anymore and she knew it. "Yes," she whispered.

He held his hand out and with a soft sigh, Elena took it. He led her down the beach for a bit before they came to a brightly lit encampment. Music was playing from a speaker somewhere and there was a fire pit, with two BBQ grilles set side by side next to it. Several people milling about preparing food and setting the beautiful candle lit table that was set aside from the activity, but close enough to the fire to give it a cozy feeling.

Elena was stunned speechless. She'd never had anyone go to this much trouble and care on a date with her before. Not even Stefan had ever made her feel so…well, special. This was spectacular and she blinked as she felt ridiculous tears fill her eyes at how much effort Damon had obviously put into this.

"This is…amazing," she breathed.

He smiled. "I love this place. It has a great history…I fought here in 1862, did you know that?"

Her eyes popped as her jaw dropped. "Um…no and whoa that's like…so weird."

He laughed as he led her to their table. "See that lighthouse?" he asked pointing to the tower out in the middle of the bay.

"Yeah," she said, smiling up at him as he pulled her chair out for her. "What about it? Did you attack it or something?' she joked as she sat down and automatically put her napkin in her lap.

"No, but I was holed up in there for two days when Union troops stormed the beach," he said softly, his eyes glazing over as he remembered a time she had only read about in history books.

Elena paused. "Seriously?" This was the first time she'd ever really heard about some of the Salvatore past. Stefan was always so close mouthed about it. "Were you scared?"

He made a face. "I was human—what do you think?"

"Terrified huh?"

He put his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his palm. "Pissed myself," he teased.

She laughed and made an *eew* face. "I doubt that, but that's a visual I so don't want—so we're just going to hit delete on that info, okay?" she said giggling.

Damon was charmed. Seeing Elena so relaxed—this was how she should be, he thought. Not all mopey and sad because Stefan couldn't handle what he was.

The waiter came to their table. "Hello, Mr. Salvatore, what can I get for you and the lovely Elena tonight?" he asked producing a wine list and menus for them both.

Elena took the menu, her eyes widening at the use of her name. She glanced at Damon, but he just smiled as if saying 'you haven't seen anything yet' and her heart warmed even further—he really_ had_ put a lot of detail into this date…

"I'll have a glass of Bushmills to start off with. Elena, do you want a wine cooler?" She nodded still a little stunned at how he'd arranged all this so quickly. He raised a brow at her. "What flavor?"

She shrugged. "Um…black cherry," she said off the top of her head.

Damon's eyes never left her face, even as the waiter told them he'd be right back with their drinks. "You look..." He smiled, "dare I say it...happy?" he teased.

Elena leaned across the table. "Damon this is incredible—why did you do all this?" she asked.

He wasn't even ready to answer that question. "What makes you think I don't do this with all my dates?" he quipped.

"Oh, yeah…" She made a *sheesh* sound. "How silly of me to think this was special," she said numbly.

Damon watched as Elena wilted back in her seat. The light slowly faded from her eyes and she lost the sparkle she'd had just seconds before. Damon could have kicked himself for hurting her. "Elena…" he said reaching across the table to grab her hand, but she tugged it away. "Elean--stop, listen to me..." he said.

"No! You don't have to make me feel better, Damon," she bit out, struggling to keep her emotions at bay. "Don't pity me. Let's just get this over with. We'll eat and you can take me home. No harm--no foul. We'll just pretend this night ever happened, okay?" she snapped, turning away from him and hiding behind the curtain of her hair when he tried to see her face.

Damon's face showed his consternation at blowing this so badly. He'd just succeeded in pushing her away. "Elena," he said, making her look at him. There were tears in her eyes and it stunned him. He wasn't sure when his simple desire for Elena had turned to something more—maybe it was when she'd hugged him after the 'tomb debacle' or maybe it was even before that, but the fact was what he felt for her now was a hell of a lot more than just attraction. Seeing her crying gutted him. "Shit," he said his brows drawing down. He wiped at a tear with his thumb. "I'm sorry. I'm an ass. I was—" His words ground to a halt. This was a do or die moment. Did he tell her how he really felt? He sighed and gave in to the feelings churning in his gut. "I wanted this to be special because you're special, Elena," he said softly.

She raised her head. Her eyes gave away her suspicion at his motives—Damon never showed his emotions. Well, unless it was about Katherine…then he was full of emotion. With a start, Elena realized she was jealous of the long absent vampiress who was her doppelganger. She was about to excuse herself, when something happened—Green day's 'Time of Your Life' came on and Elena paused to listen to the lyrics. 'Another turning point-a fork stuck in the road…" It was like the song was speaking to her. She felt her throat close up. Especially when it said 'so make the best of it and don't ask why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable, but in the end there's right—I hope you had the time of your life.'

She used to live life like that-like every last moment was the time of her life, but in the last few months she hadn't. She'd been too wrapped up in Stefan's trauma and it had bled over into her day to day existence keeping her in the land of the depressed. Damon was right—she did want more. She was tired of being sad, she wanted to have fun again. She wanted to love life again and she had a sudden instinctual feeling that Damon was the key to that. Without allowing herself to think about what she was about to do, she reached across the table, grabbed him by the collar, yanked him to her and kissed him--hard. To say who was more stunned by her show of dominant aggression—Elena or Damon, would have been a toss up, but once Elena took the step, she followed through with a nibble on his bottom lip that got him instantly hard.

She licked her lips, daring him to deny he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. "Now—what were you saying?"

Damon just blinked those amazing eyes at her. "Was I talking?" he asked with a sexy little half smile. "After a kiss like that you can't seriously expect me to have a thought in my head…" His smile turned decidedly wicked, "well—except for the obvious lewd and lascivious ones, that is."

Elena flushed to the roots of her hair. But a bubble of laughter burst forth when he wiggled his eye brows at her ridiculously. She held her stomach laughing. He made her feel so free—like she could have anything she wanted as long as she just went out and got it. No one had ever made her feel so confident. Damon did. When she could talk again, she flipped her hair over her shoulder suggestively and batted her lashes at him flirtatiously."What kind of lewd and lascivious thoughts?" she asked with a smirk.

His jaw hung for a split second before he laughed. "Really? You really want to go there?"

She shrugged, licking her lips. "Why not? Tell me what you're thinking right now?"

Never taking his eyes off her pink little tongue, Damon leaned across the table. "I'm thinking that I'd like to lay you out—naked. Right here on this table and eat you instead of whatever meal is being prepared right now." Elena gave a small gasp as her entire body went into hyper lust-drive. Damon ran his tongue along his lips. "I can guarantee your sweet little kitty will be juicier than anything that chef is going to bring to me," he said with a crude, ribald honesty that should have offended Elena, but didn't. He raised his eyes to hers. "Happy?"

Elena's face was the shade of a rip apple, but she'd asked, right? He was sexy--honest and definitely into her like she was into him. The part of her that was terrified told her to run--run now and don't stop until she was safely tucked in her own bed, but that other part--the part that used to rule her life--the part that Damon inspired insisted she stay put. But--she grabbed her drink and gulped a few fortifying swallows down before giving him another flirty glance. "So what's stopping you?" she asked, holding her breath as she awaited his reaction.

Damon's eyes widened. Had she just…? He didn't wait to be invited twice. He stood up, grabbed her hand and pulled her from her seat. "I'm going to make you scream," he told her as he tossed her over his shoulder. Elena gulped and her world tilted and whizzed by at a blinding speed as he shot across the beach and into the cabana set up for them to sleep in.

He tossed her on the big soft king sized bed. Elena rolled onto her back. She swept her hair out of her face and glanced up at him. They stared at each other for several seconds before Damon kneeled on the bed and crawled across it.

"Are you sure--because once yuo're mine, I don't share," he growled.

Elena nodded and he didn't ask twice--Damon kissed her. "I need you," he said, as they fell back on the bed, kissing wildly as if they could get inside each other through their mouths.

The lovers on the bed were so into each other they never noticed the huddled figure that peeked in--stumbled back and scurried across the beach with long, angry strides...

_**Okay guys, I know this was just supposed to be a two parter—but musie got carried away and this was the result—now it's a 3-fer!! **_

_**The rest is almost pure smut. :) :) :) Love that!! Okay, before Jen melts into a puddle of Jenna goo, click the button—feed the musie beetch so she feeds me and we'll all be fat and happy!!**_

_**Jen **_

_**:) :)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**The Auction **_

_**A fic by: Jen**_

_**Rating: Okay, this is a serious M for lots and lots of smut!!**_

_**Disclaimer: If I owned Damon and Elena—they'd be together already! I don't so please don't sue me!**_

_**A/N: I want to thank every one of you who have taken the time to R&R this fic or PM me. Thank you, you guys inspire the musie beast! You are so cool, thank you!!**_

_**Now, here's the chappie that should have been up a few days ago…sorry. :( :( RL and family drama got in the way of any and all writing!**_

_**Okay nuff of that, on with the show, right??**_

_**Hugs,**_

_**Jen**_

**Previously**

_"I'm going to make you scream," he told her as he tossed her over his shoulder. Elena gulped and her world tilted and whizzed by at a blinding speed as he shot across the beach and into the cabana set up for them to sleep in._

_He tossed her on the big soft king sized bed. Elena rolled onto her back. She swept her hair out of her face and glanced up at him. They stared at each other for several seconds before Damon kneeled on the bed and crawled across it._

_"Are you sure--because once you're mine, I don't share," he growled._

_Elena nodded and he didn't ask twice--Damon kissed her. "I need you," he said, as they fell back on the bed, kissing wildly as if they could get inside each other through their mouths._

_The lovers on the bed were so into each other they never noticed the huddled figure that peeked in--stumbled back and scurried across the beach with long, angry strides..._

Part 3

Inside the cabana, the room glowed with soft, shifting lights, getting its illumination from about twenty tall white pillar candles placed strategically around the room. There were several soft downy throw rugs across the floor and the bed was huge, king-sized and surrounded by a white filmy curtains which blew out away from the bed, sucked towards the door by the breeze from the ocean outside. Shadows from the candles and bed curtains danced along the walls, but on the bed were two people who couldn't have cared less. They were lying across the bed just kissing. Nothing was as important as the feelings they were exploring for the first time. Desire was flaring out of control. Really, it was a classic make-out session, filled with lots of groping and grinding as the couple mated with their mouths.

Many long, wet kisses later, Damon slowly pulled away and brushed her flushed cheek with his knuckles. She was gasping for breath and he was panting softly—his vampire stamina helping him out there. They kissed again; softly this time. Damon stared at her, licking his lips and savoring her taste. He'd nearly forgotten how erotic a kiss could be. You'd think with over a 150 years of debauched sex—both as a human and vampire—under his belt, it wouldn't affect him anymore, but kissing Elena wasn't like kissing other girls. She was so full of passion, the fire inside her burned so intense, he wanted to take it slow—savor every touch and taste, but his body was driving him for more. With a groan he grabbed her again and attacked her mouth with his. It wasn't enough. He wanted more.

He gripped Elena's ass and lifted her, grinding his erection against her seeking the friction of that touch. It was so good, but he knew he had to tamp down his instinctual need to dominate--to just take and have. With Elena he had to slow it down.

"I can't—Damon," she gasped, finally taking a deep, shuddering breath, clinging to him tightly. "I want—" Her words choked off as the weeping tip of his erection brushed against her wet center. "I'm so achy--I need something more!" she panted, biting her lip so hard she saw stars.

"Ssshhh. I know what you need and I'll take care of you," he soothed, placing soft kisses along her cheek and down her neck. "Relax Elena…we're going to take this slow, lover," he told her sliding his hands up her sides to her bare shoulders. "Just relax and feel…" he whispered, as his lips moved along her throat to her shoulder. His tongue swirled along her collar bone, making Elena shiver.

"Damon!" she gasped, burying her fingers in his hair and holding him to her. "I want you—now—please!" she whined, arching under him.

"I know, but you'll thank me later for my patience, kitten." Her face was flushed with sexual desire. Her arousal perfumed the air around them and Damon almost said 'fuck it' and just went right to the sexing. He'd wanted her for as long time, only his single minded-stubbornly deluded and oh-so-fucked up mission to "rescue" Katherine had kept him from pursuing Elena from the get-go. What a folly that had turned into, it was one of the reasons he'd picked this spot. Folly Beach—how apropos! Had he went with his first reaction…he would have handled Elena so, so very differently.

He sighed…water—bridge. They were here now and he wasn't going to fuck it up by rushing things. He cupped her face in his hands, calming her with butterfly kisses. "Trust me to make this incredible for you…okay?"

To say this side of Damon was a shockingly wonderful surprise would have been like saying Mount Everest was just a little hill. Elena was speechless. She'd expected hot, naughty sex, not this tenderness. She swallowed hard and nodded, afraid her voice would give away the emotions rushing through her if she spoke. He smiled as if he knew and gave her another lingering kiss to get her worked up again. Once she was kissing him back with abandon, Damon let his fingers do the walking…He ran his hands down her arms, intertwining their fingers for a moment as he broke the kiss and let his lips meander down her neck again, gently licking and sucking in between kisses. He purred in pleasure when she automatically tilted her head to give him better access—if that wasn't a show of trust—he didn't know what was. He unclasped their hands and moved them across her stomach and upwards, cupping her breasts. His thumbs flicked over her nipples, rubbing over and around them in a soft, circular motion that had them pebble hard in seconds. Her body was melting. Damon could sense how ready she was. He really could skip the rest of the foreplay and slide inside. She was definitely wet and ready, but he wanted it all from her, every emotion as she went from 0-1000. He wanted to see every shift of her gears.

"Let's get this off, hmmm?" he said sitting back and sliding the straps of her dress down her shoulders.

Elena's head was spinning. He had her riding an excited roller coaster of arousal. She practically tore her dress in her eagerness to get it off. Getting _her_ clothes off meant getting _Damon's_ clothes off and with the way she was worked up that was pretty much her primary focus in life right about now. No other worries were on her mind. Damon. Naked and inside her—yep that was about it! He stopped her when she went for the bra and panties too.

"Wait," he said with a tiny smirk, grabbing her hands and pinning them at her sides. "These are hot. Leave em."

"Damon!" she wailed, "I don't want to wait!" Elena's belly ached. She wanted him so badly it was starting to hurt. The throbbing pulse there was actually becoming painful. "Please…I need you inside me," she finally admitted, pushed beyond caring about her pride.

He stood and stripped off his clothes, giving her a little show by twirling the jacket like a stripper and flinging it across the room. Elena giggled, but her laughter died when he unbuttoned his shirt. She waited, holding her breath, for that magnificent chest and torso to become available for her viewing pleasure. When he shrugged out of the shirt and tossed it aside, her mouth actually watered. His body was simply perfection. "The pants," she said huskily. "Lose them."

His eyes widened before he chuckled, and his brow quirked. "Demanding little chick, aren't you?"

"Yes, still sure you want me," se replied waiting and watching as he went to work on the buttons on his dress slacks.

"Oh, I want you," he murmured in that smooth, silky voice. "I think it's pretty obvious, hmmm?" he said, dropping his pants.

Elena's eyes popped. Her breath caught and then she frowned. "Okay, _that_—" she waved a hand at his erection, "is going to hurt. Are you sure you're dad wasn't Seattle Slew, or maybe John Holmes, not Guiseppe Salvatore!" she said frowning at the size of him.

"Are you saying I'm part horse—or porn star?"

"If the shoe—or in this case—condom fits…"

He laughed, an honest laugh, not his usual sarcastic chuckle. "Elena, you're priceless," he said.

"Well priceless or not, I don't think this is going to work."

"Yes, it will," he said matter-of-factly.

He crawled back up on the bed. Elena kept staring at his cock worriedly. "Elena—it'll fit—women have babies every day that are a hell of a lot bigger than my dick, okay?"

"Well, not this woman!" she exclaimed. "I've never had anything that big inside—" She stopped and blushed a brilliant shade of rose when he started to laugh. It took her less than a second to realize how he could use that to hurt his brother. "Wait! Stefan was—"

"No where near my size," he interjected. "I already knew that, babe," he said with a shrug. "C'mon—he's my brother—I've seen his package, Elena," he told her with a strange, far-away look.

"Okay, I'm not going to ask where or how. I'm just going to hit delete again and pretend I didn't hear that."

He sighed. "Look, we shared Katherine. In _every_ way, and sometimes together…" he said softly, yet simply. "She wanted it that way and we were blinded by love so we gave her what she wanted."

"Oh," Elena said softly, her face clearly showing her disdain for Katherine and the visual his statement caused.

Intrigued, Damon raised a brow. "What did you think I meant?" She flushed and his eyes widened before he threw his head back and laughed. "Why Elena, what a dirty little mind you have!"

"Well, you said you'd seen his—you know?" she argued, reddening further when he made a *tsking* sound. "Okay, can we skip this conversation?"

"Definitely," he replied, followed with a "yuck." His lip curled. "Talk about brotherly love taken a tad too far…" He shook his head and made another face before a smirk crossed his handsome features and he took her chin in his hand and looked into her eyes. "But it's so kinky…didn't know you had that in you." A slow, lascivious smile spread across his face, "I like it—except leave let's leave Stefan out of it. Think—you. Dressed all in leather, a little spanking and maybe some light bondage and I'm there 100%!"

Elena rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips. "You're such an ass—just when I see something sweet in you, you say something like that."

He winked. "But what a sexy ass—right?"

Her eyes traveled his body. "Sexy, yes, but still a jackass!"

"Now I'm part donkey too?" He gave her a mock scowl and pulled her to him. She giggled and half-heartedly tried to escape, but he reeled her in like a fish. "Oh no—now you're going to pay," he taunted. He pinned her to the bed under him and lowered his head. "Elena, if you're going to call me an animal, I'm going to have to give you a list of acceptable mammals—one that doesn't include donkey or horse. How about a tiger?" he teased, growling at her as he nipped at her neck. "I wouldn't mind you calling me a tiger in bed," he murmured, laving her throat with his tongue before taking a gentle bite at her jugular.

"Okay Tigger," she said. Bursting into a fit of giggles when his head snapped up and he scowled.

"You know I didn't say Tigger!" His brows drew down, and he pouted, "Isn't that the cat that bounces on his tail all day?"

She nodded, still giggling. "Again, if the shoe fits…" Her eyes sparkled with mischief and Damon didn't care if she called him Lucifer himself at that moment. Here they were naked—in bed and seeing Elena so carefree…so full of life, well, frankly, it got him hot. "And really is Tigger so far off?" she asked, and then waited a heartbeat before she added cheekily, "'Cause I'd be willing to bet you've spent _more_ than your fair share of time bouncing on tail all day!"

His lips lifted in that half smile she was beginning to love. "Such naughty thoughts you have…" He brushed her hair back from her face. "What _am_ I going to do with you, Elena?" he sighed. But his eyes darkened so that they were green now, rather than the light aqua they normally were, and the devilish look that crossed his face clearly said he had several ideas…

Elena's breath caught at the hungry look on his handsome face. Her heart began to pound again and just like that the banter was gone, replaced by sexual tension that was so thick you'd need a chainsaw to cut through it—a knife simply wouldn't do. She could think of no witty reply. The only thing that came out of her mouth was his name—whispered softly, like she was just realizing who he really was. "Damon," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pulling him to her.

He'd just gotten the invitation he'd been waiting for, but Damon wanted more. He wanted to 'OWN' her. He palmed her breasts, pushing up her strapless bra to expose her breasts. "So pretty," he said, dipping his head to taste each dusky peak. He made soft sounds of approval as he swirled his tongue over and around each nipple, suckling and blowing on them until they were perky—diamond hard little nubs just begging for his attention—and they got it. Damon spent several minutes on her breasts, laving, suckling and using his hands, mouth and tongue to rev her engine up again. He reached under her and with an ease born from years of experience quickly unclasped her bra and tossed it aside. He stared down at her for a moment, taking the time to admire the view—it was his fantasy come to life and his cock throbbed at the sight. He pushed aside his own need and went back to bringing her off. He redoubled his efforts, taking first one nipple, and then the other in his mouth, suckling gently at first and then increasing the pressure until Elena was writing under him, clasping his head to her chest and begging him for relief. Opening his mouth wide, Damon fastened his mouth on her breast and sucked—hard, using his teeth at the very end. It was just what she needed to go over the edge. Elena's body jerked and he smiled around her flesh when he felt her shudder under him. He raised his head and watched her expressive face as she rode out the short little orgasm.

"Mmmm, you're beautiful when you come, but that was just the pre-show," he said as he placed heated kisses down her flat belly. "Get ready for the next act." He raised his head and his magnetic eyes caught and held her heavy lidded ones. "I'm going to make you scream," he promised her with a wicked little smile.

Terribly nervous, Elena clenched her eyes shut as he neared her neatly trimmed curls. She glanced down. "Damon you don't have to—"

"Sshhh, I want to," he said, easing her panties down as he placed a wet kiss just under her belly button. Her body was tense, so Damon simply huffed a soft breath over his real goal, tossed her thong aside and continued placing kisses along her hip bones and down her legs, along her inner thighs, down to the backs of her knees. Her nervousness faded as he took his time, swirling his tongue along her inner thighs, nibbling here and there until he was back at his desired buffet, but now Elena was relaxed, limp and willing to let him do as he pleased.

He eased her legs open wide and settled himself between them, licking his lips in anticipation. She was still shy, so he had to take it slow and build up her desire. His hands traced soft patterns along her inner thighs distracting her until he took his first taste. Elena gasped when his soft tongue lapped at her nether lips, kissing them and swirling his tongue along her slit with a touch as soft as goose down. When she lifted her hips a bit, he spread her lips and moved his tongue around her clit—not touching it directly yet, just around it until it began to fill with blood, becoming plump and swollen the more aroused she got. Her fingers tunneled their way until his hair and in her lust; Elena lost all traces of shyness, moving his mouth to where she needed it most. He smiled, and finally licked at that tiny, swollen bundle of nerves.

"Oh God!" she cried, planting her feet on the bed, arching her hips and pressing his face hard against her clit as she ground herself against that talented tongue.

*****Down the beach:*****

Stefan heard Elena's scream and cringed inwardly. If anyone would have told him that he'd have lost her to Damon of all people he'd have never believed it. Stefan knew his brother was attractive to women. Before they'd even been turned Stefan remembered many a young belle sneaking out of Damon's room in the early hours just before dawn and after a party at their house. If he put his mind to it, Damon could charm any woman he chose, but he hadn't made any such effort in so very long, Stefan had (obviously) foolishly decided he was happy with his many one night stands that also served as 'happy meals' and while he'd entertained the possibility of Damon turning his sights on Elena, he'd never dreamed Elena would reciprocate those feelings. He heard her cry out his brother's name again and practically ran from the encampment. Needing to put distance between himself and the two lovers in the beach cabana.

He opened his phone. "Bonnie…" he said softly. "It's Stefan. I—h" His throat closed up and he felt tears come to his eyes.

She asked him what was wrong and he tried to tell her but the words came out in a jumbled mix of Elena—Damon—sex—she wants him more than me.

Bonnie didn't say anything for a long time and Stefan was about to hang up when she whispered. "Come over."

"Thank you," he said softly and just as quietly as he entered the romantic beach setting, Stefan left it, leaving the two lovers alone again.

*****Inside the Cabana**:***

When the fine trembling of Elena's body became a deep shudder of raw lust, Damon had to call upon every trick he'd learned over the years to keep his own desire at bay and not just ram himself into her. It was also a good thing he didn't need to breathe. Elena wasn't letting him come up for air anytime soon from the looks of it. He didn't mind, she tasted heavenly. "Mmmmm," he murmured, over and over letting her know just how good she tasted and how much he was enjoying this. When she was babbling incoherently and bucking against his mouth, Damon inserted two fingers inside her, quirking them in a 'come hither' motion until he found that tissue inside that was her G-spot. He rubbed that spot gently for a moment before he settled his lips around her clit and began to suckle the sensitive little nub.

Elena came undone. Her hands gripped his hair, holding him in place as her body exploded, shuddering uncontrollably—even her toes curled. "Damon-Damon-Damon!" she chanted his name like a prayer as wave after wave of the most intense sensations washed over her. Finally when it was too much, she whimpered and pulled away from his lips and tongue to collapse on the bed, her over-sensitized flesh and body, exhausted.

Damon followed, lapping at the sweet honey flowing from her like fine wine a few more times, relishing her taste, before letting her go. His own need had become unbearable. His cock was leaking pre-cum by the bucketfuls and the tip of it left a wet trail along her thigh as he maneuvered himself into position between her open thighs. He brushed her sweaty hair back from her face. Now, she was the one who looked wrecked and he took great pride that he'd put such a well pleasured look on her face.

"Elena, open you're eyes, lover," he whispered, bracketing her head with his forearms and laying on top of her, but keeping his full weight off her by balancing his body weight on his elbows.

She blinked open sluggish brown eyes. "That wassss amazzzing," she sighed.

"We still have the main event, baby." He started to kiss her again. Sensual, slow, wet kisses. The kind that made you ache deep inside, craving something more and Damon was quickly becoming a master at making Elena crave more. He used his lips and tongue to work her out of her climax induced drowsiness and back into the moment. Within moments she was clinging to him, raking her nails down his back and begging him to come inside…

He didn't have to be invited more than once. Gripping his penis with one hand, Damon braced himself above her with his other arm and guided himself to her entrance. He pushed into her slowly, giving her time to accept his girth and size. Elena moaned, eyes widening as he entered her, stretching her inner sheath until she was so full, it was like she didn't know where she ended and Damon began. He was so deep inside her—it was like he was a part of her.

"Damon," she sighed, wrapping her arms and legs around him in a welcoming embrace as she whispered how good he felt, how much she wanted him…

It was enough to trigger the lust he'd kept restrained for (in his opinion) too long, and with a loud groan Damon thrust all the way inside her tight sheath, making her his. Once there, he paused, forcing himself to slow down before he gave in to the urge to pound her into the mattress. She fluttered around him. It sent shivers down his spine and right to his scrotum. He pulsed inside her, very close to orgasm. "Shit, this may be fast," he said, only half jokingly. He gritted his teeth, reciting the alphabet backwards in an effort to keep his instincts tucked away for just a little longer.

Elena; on the other hand, didn't want to slow down. He felt so good inside her—she wanted the main event and she wanted it now. "Please…" she whined lifting her hips and running her hands up and down the firm muscles of his back. "I need you."

Damon opened his mouth to say something, and then shut it again not at all ready to share what he was feeling. "You sure you're ready?" he asked instead. She nodded, body trembling and brown eyes so dark with desire they appeared black. Unable to wait any longer, he raised himself above her and began to move inside her, setting a slow, easy rhythm—he wanted to savor the feel of her burning heat wrapped around him, tight as a glove. It was better than he'd ever imagined and no matter how badly he wanted to come, Damon was in no hurry for it to end.

But passion was a funny thing and no matter how badly Damon wanted it to last—he'd waited too long already and very quickly he felt the first tingling sensation in his belly and scrotum that signaled release. His lips settled over Elena's, kissing her deeply as one of his hands moved between their bodies to find her clitoris. Damon stroked the sensitive bit of flesh, rocking his hips harder, pistoning in and out of her with each long, deep push of his hips. She responded to him like she was made for him. Her legs tightened around his waist and each thrust from Damon drew an answering arch of Elena's hips.

Elena's head fell back, her breath was coming in rapid pants and the tension tightening inside her belly and between her thighs was almost at an unbearable level. She thrashed under him, striving for that moment when she'd tumble over the edge and into oblivion. And then Damon pinched her clit lightly and all of a sudden it was upon her, her body tightened. Her back bowed, bringing her off the bed for a moment as all that tension just snapped inside her. Her eyes popped open as her climax crashed over her, hitting her like a run-a-way freight train. "Damon! Oh God, Damon!" she cried, tangling her fingers in his hair before bringing his head down for a wildly intimate, wet kiss. Her internal muscles clamped down on him, pulsing and Damon groaned loudly against her lips as he let go of all restraint. His tongue mated with hers as his thrusts became wilder, frantic. He had one thought in mine, seeking his own relief. It was quick in coming. With a growl and one last hard thrust, he buried himself deep inside Elena's body as he came, spilling hot jets of semen deep into her womb.

He buried his face in the side of her neck, fighting the urge to bite her—to taste the sweet release in her blood. He blew out a deeply satisfied breath. "Fuck," he cursed softly as his body continued to shiver, every pulse of his cock sending a fresh wave of pleasure washing over him. Elena's eyes were still wide, staring at him with a new found sense of awe. Watching Damon's orgasm had left her stunned. He was beautiful. When he finally stopped shaking, Damon moved his mouth to Elena's, kissing her gently as he struggled to come back to Earth after that near mind melting climax.

He rolled off her, sweating and looking like the cat that just ate the cream _and_ the canary. "That was—"

"Beautiful," Elena cut in, leaning up on one elbow and brushing a sweat dampened lock of hair out of her eyes. He smirked and opened his mouth to say something sarcastic no doubt, but Elena wasn't in the mood to allow him to spoil the moment. She put her finger over his lips. "Sshh, that was incredible," she whispered, daring him to say otherwise.

Damon's hand snaked around her wrist and pulled her to lie on top of his chest. He brushed the hair back from her face. "Is that what you want, Elena, for this to be something more than just a one night thing?"

Elena's bows drew down as insecurities assailed her. "Don't you?" she countered with instead of answering.

"I've wanted you for a long time," he replied without really answering.

Elena sat up, drawing the sheet up and over her naked body. "No games, Damon," she said with a gritty edge to her voice as she tucked her hair behind her ear and caught his gaze with hers. "What do you want?" She wet her lips. "From us," she added, wringing the sheet in her hands as she waited for his answer.

He stared, lashes fluttering as her words sank in. He wanted to believe in her, but the wall was still there. Once bitten twice shy, and despite his desire to wish it otherwise, Katherine's bite was still there, festering inside, poisoning him. "I heard the new Mustang is a good ride," he said, unable to help himself. Talking about feelings was never his strong suit—especially since he'd already been burned once by love.

Elena wanted to scream at him for being a sarcastic ass, but she didn't. Instead she simply glared at him, shook her head sadly and went to get out of the bed. "Fine—enjoy your Mustang!" she bit out, blinking her eyes rapidly to stave off her tears as she searched for her clothes.

He grabbed her arm before she could get out of bed. Damon pulled her back to him as he sat up and leaned his back against the headboard. She struggled, but his superior strength won out, and in the end he finally settled her down as he cradled her to him, murmuring apologies in her ear. "I want you. I want you," he told her softly.

Those words had the desired effect and Elena gave in and let her body relax against the hard wall of his muscular chest. "Why do you have to be so cruel?" she asked looking up at him.

He ran a knuckle along her jaw before he shrugged. "You can hurt me, Elena. You have before, remember the tomb when I trusted you?"

"But that wasn't—"

He placed a finger over her lips. "I know, but it still left a scar. Just like everything I've done." He leaned back and pulled her closer, rubbing his cheek on top of her head. "We have scars, Elena, but I want you enough to try and work them out." He tilted her chin up so that she met his gaze. "Question is, can you?"

"Can I what?" she asked, splaying her hands on his pectoral muscles and melting into his amazing eyes.

He chuckled and gave a little eye roll. "Pay attention kitten," he teased, rubbing his thumb along her jaw. "You're asking me what I want from us, but you haven't given me an answer to the question that even tells me if we have anything after tonight."

"What question is that?"

"Can you forgive and forget?" Elena paused, and Damon's jaw tightened as he waited. Finally he said, "It's up to you."

Her hands tightened on his chest. "I can forgive, but I honestly don't know if I can totally forget," she said, glancing up at him under her lashes. She worried her bottom lip until it was red and swollen. "I wasn't to, but I just can't. Does that make sense?" she asked as she finally met his gaze head on.

It was a very honest answer. One Damon appreciated. "Perfect and one I can deal with too," he told her, wrapping his hand in her hair and bringing her down for a deep kiss. After a few moments, he pulled back and smirked."Okay, since I've been so good and haven't killed anyone in like…" he snorted, "too long. I think I deserve a reward, don't you?" he asked with a wriggle of his eyebrows.

"Oh brother," Elena said, looking heavenward as if some divine guidance was going to give her advice on how to deal with the rascal that was very quickly worming his way into her heart.

Damon laughed heartedly as he rolled her under him again. "Seriously, the time to ask for his help was_ before_ you got into bed with me, kitten," he teased, leaning down to take a small nibble at her lips.

Elena gasped and made an *mmmmm* sound just as her stomach let out a loud growl.

Damon raised his head and frowned. "Why didn't you say you were hungry?"

"I am—" She ran her hands along his shoulders and down his belly to his penis. "Very hungry," she said wrapping her hand around his cock and giving it a few strokes, testing how he liked it. She gave him a flirtatious little smile. "Why don't you feed me?"

He winked. "I intend to," he said and before Elena realized what he meant he was out of bed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sitting up. The sheet pooled around her tiny waist and for once Elena was totally unmindful of her nudity. "Where are you going?"

"To feed you," he told her rummaging through a bag of his until he found what he was looking for.

Elena took that moment to drool over his totally naked body exposed to her oh-so-wandering eyes. When he pulled out a pair of black cotton draw string pants, Elena frowned. "Damon, what are you doing?"

"Getting you something to eat, Elena," he told her stepping into the pants. He tightened the drawstring, but left them loose, so that they rode low on his hips. "Remember? We didn't eat earlier?"

Elena blushed as she was reminded it was her kiss that instigated the rushed trip to the cabana. She chewed her lip. "Yeah, well what if I don't want food?"

He grinned. "As much as I love the lust you have for my body, love. You need food," he told her simply. He came to the side of the bed and sat down. "Now, the only question is do you want to eat it out on the beach, with the fire pit, the flowers and the sound of the waves crashing all around us or do you want to eat it in here…" he paused and a devilish gleam entered his eyes, making Elena's heart speed up, "…in the bed with candles and the possibility of more sex while you eat?"

Elena looped her arms around his neck. "Oh definitely in here…" she sighed as she lifted her face for his kiss. Damon didn't hesitate. He lowered his head and settled his mouth over hers. This kiss was different. It wasn't rushed or too eager. It was slow. Meandering even. They just explored each other's taste in this kiss. There was no rush to get to the culmination—their immediate lust had been satisfied. This kiss was just for the sheer pleasure of kissing.

Damon suckled on her tongue, nipping at it lightly. A drop of her blood hit his taste buds and he groaned before he let her go and pulled back. "Tasty," he said, but Elena could see he wanted more.

She pushed him off her, grabbed the sheet and wrapped it around her body before she sat up in bed and turned to him. "Let's eat," she said, staring at him deeply. He raised a brow as if asking, 'are you saying what I think you're saying?' She nodded, seeing the question in his eyes. "I want to." He looked skeptical so Elena dropped the sheet. His eyes immediately went to her exposed breasts and she watched as he licked his lips hungrily. She brought his head to her nipple. Damon's tongue snaked out and swirled around the hard peak. They both gave soft moans. Elena buried her fingers in his soft hair, pressing him to her chest. "Feed me and then I'll feed you…" She glanced down at him. His eyes were black and veins were surrounding his eyes. He was still beautiful to her. She leaned down and kissed him, ignoring the fangs. "Deal?" she asked, raising her head.

Damon was unmanned. He could only nod, and it was in that moment that he finally admitted to himself that he was in love with her. "Let's go get you something to eat first," he said as he got up, took her hand and helped her to her feet. He pulled something out of his bag and Elena stared at the 'Victoria Secret' bag with a mixture of sweet pleasure and stunned exasperation. Figures Damon would have went shopping for something naughty for her to wear. Arrogant ass that he could be! But when she drew out the filmy sundress, she gasped. It was so soft—silky and she realized it was real silk. It wasn't lingerie. It was a dress and a very pretty, albeit sexy little dress, but still it was beautiful and she immediately slipped it on.

Damon watched in satisfaction as she drew the flimsy sundress over her naked body. "You look gorgeous," he commented before taking her hand and leading her to the door. Hand in hand they left their little love nest and headed back to the beach.

*****Somewhere near Mystic Falls:*****

The two women stared down at the body of Octo Granny.

"Well, that little plan worked out well," the smaller brunette said with a smirk. "If you would have discussed it with me first I would have told you not to turn the old lady--stupid! Now we have no idea where they are!" she snapped, crossing her arms and stomping her foot.

Isobel sighed. "Katherine, I wanted him to stay away from my daughter..."

Katherine's laughter trilled. "You're jealous, just like I am, don't bother to lie to me, Izzy--I know," she taunted with a cruel parody of a smile before she reached out and slapped Isobel—hard. "You stupid twit! I told you to get her out of the picture, but you promised me Damon wasn't interested!" Katherine flounced back to the limo waiting by the side of the road. She slid inside and settled back against the seat, crossing her arms as she pouted. After a few minutes she sighed, shook it off and started plotting again.

She leaned out the door. "Oh come on, Izzy--I'm not going to bite again.." she fluttered her lashes. "Promise."

Isobel warily got in the long, black car. "I'm sorry. I tried..."

"I know, I guess that's why the phrase; 'If you want something done…do it yourself, was coined, right?" she muttered, sitting up and hitting the button for the privacy screen. "I'll just have to find him myself." She leaned forward to tell the driver where to go when she paused as she realized she didn't know. She expelled a short, heated breath before rounding on Isobel. "Where did your little Grandma-project say they were?" she demanded, growling slightly. "Tell me or this will be your last day as a vampire!" she snarled. Then as quick as a cat her face changed and she smiled. "But if you help me…" her smile was cunning even as her face was beguiling, "I may share Damon with you…" She paused and giggled. "But only if you're a good girl!"

Isobel clutched her face, rubbing it softly to soothe the burn there. "Kath—I really am sorry, please stop being cross with me," she said softly. "I told you Damon was angry with you for not being in that tomb."

Katherine shrugged. "So he'd rather have me shriveled up and starving?!" She pouted. "How dare he? What about me? Does he really think that's the kind of existence I deserved?!"

Isobel rolled her eyes at Katherine's utter narcissism and selfishness. But that was what she was—Damon had obviously loved her at some point. Would he again? Would he leave Elena? Isobel didn't know her daughter and truthfully, she didn't want to know her. Elena was a distraction that needed to be taken care of, but just not in the permanent way that Katherine wanted. Isobel may not 'love' her daughter, but she definitely drew the line at murdering her! No matter what Katherine wanted!

*****Folly Beach:*****

Damon reclined against the headboard, the sheet was tangled around his legs but pooled at his hips, riding low to expose that little treasure trail that led from his belly button to his groin. He was naked again as was Elena; who lay with her back against his muscled chest and her head on his shoulder. . He was feeding her by hand, in between deep, wet kisses that had already led to a heated bout of lovemaking in between the eating. He plucked another piece from the bowl sitting next to him and fed it to her, sliding his fingers in between her lips, purring when she sucked on them and then bit the tips gently.

He growled softly. "Don't start something you can't finish, baby," he warned quietly.

Elena simply grinned. "Mmmmm," she moaned as she licked her lips. "What was that?"

"My fingers or the food?' he asked with a taunting quirk of his brow. Elena rolled her eyes and he chuckled as he answered her original question. "It was salmon—smoked with lemon and garlic." Elena made another *mmmm* sound and he laughed again "Nummy?" he asked with a smirk as he leaned down to brush his lips across hers. "_Now_ is _that_ me or the food?"

Elena drew his head down and kissed him back heatedly. "Definitely you," she replied breathlessly when he finally raised his head.

She leaned forward and brushed her hair to the side. "Your turn," she whispered, heart pounding, making her voice soft and huskier than usual.

Damon's mouth watered. "Elena…" she said, "This might not be such a great idea, Einstein." She looked at him over her shoulder and he wasn't really that surprised to see she wanted this. A Vampire's bite can be addicting. She knew that and wanted to experience it. He couldn't help but feel amazing that shed chosen him to 'bust her cherry' so to speak. Not to mention he was hungry and he knew Elena would taste like Strawberries and heaven. "Come here," he muttered, voice rough with longing and raw hunger.

Elena straddled his lap. He pulled the sheet away, exposing his returning erection. "Ride me while I feed," he told her.

Elena whimpered as she hastened to comply. She gripped the thick girth of his penis, stroking it until it was at full hardness before she levered herself over it. She positioned him at her entrance and sank down slowly. They both let out loud groans as he slid inside her. It took a few minutes to come back, but once Damon found his bearings, he tilted her head to the side. "Are you sure?" he asked softly as his face crinkled with black blood filled veins and his fangs dropped.

She wriggled on his lap, reveling in how big and hard he was inside her. It was like a dream—this was the last part. She needed this. Elena kissed his vampire face. "I'm sure," she said and brushed her hair off her neck as she tilted her head to the side.

Damon growled, snarled really. Her blood called to him. Pumping so wildly there—he turned his face away, afraid he'd drain her. "Elena, I can't! I might—"

"No, I know you won't," she reassured him. "You'll bite and we'll come." She brought his face to her neck. "I trust you," she whispered.

Damon gave a deep moan as his tongue slithered out and lapped at the taut flesh of her jugular. "So good," he purred right before his razor sharp fangs pierced her flesh. Damon came as soon as her blood hit his senses. Now she was well and truly his. He'd taken her in bed as he drank—that was a mating ritual. Elena clung to him, coming too and he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her there, licking at the wounds on her neck until she whimpered and pulled back.

He raised his head. "So? Was it as good for you as it was for me?" he teased…

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_******Okay guys, I know—I know, this was only supposed to be a (2) parter—then it turned to three and now it's a four!! :O :O **_

_**BUT--in my defense (lol)—so many of you keep asking me to write more…so to all of you qwho asked...well…here it is…anyhow, just remember this is a parody even if this chappie is a tad on the serious, but remember this chappie was pretty much PWP, right?? :D Now, the next chappie will be back to the silli-ness, okay? Oh and also—yes this is Damon-centric. I'm sorry Paul Wesley fans, but he just DOESN'T do it for me, okay? Okay. So in this fic Katherine is only worried about Damon okay? Like I said, this wasn't written to be totally in character, but I do try even while I make it goofy! Okay—next chappie will be up in a few days. Hope you enjoyed the smut fest. :) :) :)**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**The Auction **_

_**A fic by Jen**_

_**Rating: M**_

_**Disclaimer: Sadly, I own none of these characters…**_

_**A/N: I know this is severely late in coming, but well…first off I had a personal tragedy—my Grandma died and it was very hard to write for a minute there. RL sometimes comes up and reminds us all how precious life really is, right?**_

_**Also, since so many of you asked me to make it longer—I have and that meant coming up with an *actual* plot rather than just porn! lol! But, I have and now this is a *real-live* fic, *but* it's still a parody—or—in some (lol-a lot of) parts; smutterfluff and wishful thinking…but I want to remind you all it isn't supposed to be totally in character, though I do try to not make it ridiculous…at least unless I'm being obvious in the slapstick comedy like in the first chappie of this fic. :) :)**_

_**Okay, anyhow, enough of my chit-chat…on with the next part…right? Right.**_

_**xoxo**_

_**Jen**_

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**Part 4**

**The Cabana on Folly Beach: Just before dawn:**

Candlelight flickered over the couple on the bed. The covers had been kicked off sometime in the night revealing the languorous, naked bodies entwined there. They appeared to be in a deep sleep, but when the man rolled over onto his side, away from her, the woman moaned as if feeling his loss. Immediately, she threw an arm around his lean belly and snuggled up against his back. As if sensing her presence, he rolled over again and his arms came around her to pull her against his side. A soft purr rumbled through him as she breathed a soft sigh and burrowed closer to him, laying her head on his sculpted chest. Their legs entwined, feet sliding against one another in a sleepy parody of playfulness. The supple flesh of the woman's long, tanned limbs melded with the hard muscled, masculine flesh of the man to create the perfect contrast of physical beauty. They made such a striking couple, even the most hardened cynic would have caught their breath at the erotic vision. The electric current that crackled between them made it blatantly clear that, even in slumber, Damon and Elena couldn't get enough of each other…

**A few minutes later:**

Elena rubbing her butt against his morning erection caused Damon to stir. He made an *mmm* sound as he snuggled closer to her. "Good morning, sunshine," he whispered into her hair, running his hand down her hip to her thigh. He drew soft little circles there, debating whether to just heft her leg over his hip and wake her up with some good old fashioned first erection of the morning sex.

Elena laid her head back into the crook of his shoulder. She squirmed closer to him, sighing as the blunt tip of his penis rubbed against her from behind. She gave a soft moan and scooted even closer when Damon began to place soft kisses along the back of her neck. Elena let her head tilt forward, giving him better access as she trembled with rising desire. "Mmmm, it's sooo good, but is it really morning? Already?" she asked, stifling a yawn.

He chuckled huskily, ruffling the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck and sending more shivers down her spine. "Yeah, it is," he told her softly, giving in to his lust as he raised her thigh and pressed the head of his cock against her entrance. "And it's about to get better than good," he murmured as he pressed forward, burying himself inside her.

Elena gave a soft gasp, and then a low moan erupted from her throat as he filled her. "Damon…" she whispered, biting her lip as he hit that 'sweet spot' inside her time and again while he moved languidly inside her. His thrusts were slow and steady, and Elena reached behind her head to wrap her arms around his neck. She ran her hands through his hair, arching her back as she met each thrust of his hips. She gave another whimpering moan as one of his hands slid down her belly to cup her sex, his fingers finding her clitoris with an ease that spoke of his years of experience, more than she cared to contemplate truthfully. "Damon!" she gasped again. "Oh God—yes—right there!" she cried softly as he used his thumb to put the added pressure on her clit that she needed to come.

Damon lifted her thigh higher on his hip and his blunt—human teeth bit down on her shoulder as his thrusts became harder and more furious now that she was so close to the edge of release. His hips pumped against her, and the *slapping* sound of flesh meeting flesh blended with the constant rolling *whoosh* of the ocean outside their room. "Jesus Elena…" he groaned, nipping at her shoulder as he felt relief swiftly approaching. "Sooo damned good," he gasped as he felt the tiny fluttering in her sheath that signaled her orgasm ripple along his driving cock. "Fuck!" he cursed, gritting his teeth as she milked his climax from him.

Elena couldn't speak. She'd been reduced to guttural whimpers and moans as she came. Her toes curled and she grinded back into Damon's hips as she felt his body tighten. "Oh-oh-Gaahhdd!" she cried, digging her nails into the arm he had wrapped around her torso as she rode out her own release, moaning softly as the hot jets of his semen flooded her body, filling her womb and giving her a sense of satisfaction she'd never experienced before.

After they'd both come back to Earth, Elena tucked his arm more tightly around her middle. "Why is it like that between us?" she asked softly.

He brushed the sweat dampened hair off her nape and placed a lingering kiss there. "You mean earth shattering?" She glanced at him over her shoulder and gave a slight eye roll and he grinned. "Because we have something, Elena—it's called a connection. It's been there since the first time I kissed your hand—you and I both felt it that day, you were just too determined to be the good-girl-girlfriend to my brooding brother to admit it."

Elena sighed, while she didn't exactly agree that she'd 'felt' it that day…but she _had_ felt something for him lately, something…magnetic—confusing and complicated, but good too. Part of the reason she'd ended it with Stefan was because she realized she had a connection to Damon. Elena frowned. What was she doing? Yeah, the sex between them was spectacular. Mind numbing even, but what had changed in her that she'd suddenly become unable to resist the siren's call of the impossibly gorgeous Damon Salvatore?

He pulled her up on his chest. "Penny for your thoughts," he teased, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"I'm not sure a penny would cover the cost of everything I'm thinking," she said wryly.

Damon frowned. "Having the morning after 'what have I done' blues?"

Elena would have had to be blind to not see a wall about to come back up. "No—it's not that. It's…" she paused. "It's just confusing. You were the bad boy—the one I knew wasn't right for me, but here I am…"

He tilted her chin up and grinned. "Yep," he said, popping the "P", "here you are lying in post coital bliss with the devil and loving every minute of it!"

Elena rolled her eyes. "You're not the devil, Damon."

"You used to think so."

"That was before I saw the real you."

"Maybe the devil is the real me, Elena and this is what I want you to see," he fired back.

She recognized his acerbic temper and refused to let his mood swing get her riled. "Nope," she replied, imitating his accentuation of the "P". "As much as you'd like everyone to believe you don't care, Damon. You do," she said folding her arms across his chest and raising her chin a notch while her eyes brazenly met his surprised gaze head on.

Unwilling and not even close to being ready to discuss his feelings for her, Damon shied away from the topic with a wince. "As much as I'd love to lie in bed with you all day, Elena…we need to get up because I have something I want to show you."

Elena gave a surprised and breathless squeal as he tossed her off him and threw back the covers. "Damon!" she yelped, scrambling to cover herself.

He laughed with delight. "Seriously? It's not like I haven't seen…or…tasted every inch of you—why so shy?" he teased. His voice was chiding, but the way his eyes sparkled it was contagious and Elena grinned as she realized how silly being modest now must seem.

She rolled her eyes and dropped the sheet. Damon's growl was low, but guttural as his eyes swept her naked body.

"What?" she asked, her lips twitching the longer she stared at his hungry face. "Are you sure you want to get out of bed?"

He flashed that crooked grin of his. "Jeez, Elena the way you've used me so shamelessly people would think you're the vampire!" Elena made a *pfft* sound, but didn't cover herself and Damon's eyes darkened with desire. "Here I wanted to have breakfast with you on the beach at sunrise and you've got me thinking about more sex!" he joked, turning his back on her as he pulled a pair of CalvinKlein boxer/briefs out of his bag.

Elena's smile was more than a tad wicked as her eyes roamed his naked backside. "Mmmm, the view is already pretty nice…"

He glanced at her over his shoulder as he slipped them on, raising a brow, he asked, "Feeling frisky are we?" She nodded and his smirk was decadently wicked. "I like it." He stretched rubbing a hand along his belly and Elena's eyes couldn't help but follow that hand. He grinned and tugged at the elastic on his shorts. "Do you want to see the sunrise or not, Elena? Because if you keep looking at me like that the only thing you're going to see is me climbing back on top of you!"

She laughed, but then the sentiment behind his invitation got her attention. It was incredibly romantic. "Breakfast!" She brushed back the tangled mass of brown hair clouding her vision. Her eyes met his. "Seriously, you've arranged breakfast at sunrise?" she asked, raising a brow.

At the end of the bed, Damon couldn't help but be turned on by her well pleasured face and body. She was even more breathtaking than any sunrise he'd ever seen—and that was a lot. His body responded instantly and suddenly the sunrise didn't seem so appealing anymore. "Never mind—it's nothing we can't see tomorrow…" he muttered, climbing up on the bed again.

Elena let out a little giggle and playfully scooted out of his reach. "Oh no," she said glancing at his rising erection. "I saw that—" she waved a hand at his groin, "several times last night and this morning, remember?" She wrapped the sheet, toga style, around her naked body. "You promised me a sunrise and since I'm up I want to see it," she informed him, climbing out of bed and trailing the long white Egyptian cotton behind her as she walked across the room to grab her new dress.

Damon pouted as his view of 'naked Elena' was terminated. He fell back against the headboard, glancing down at the renewed bulge in his Calvin Klein's. "You're no fun," he muttered.

Her grin was teasing. "That's not what you said a few minutes ago," she shot back. He tried a few more times, but Elena ignored his requests to come back to bed and instead headed for the bathroom. "Don't pout, Damon," she said, turning in the doorway. "Hasn't anyone ever told you if you make that face long enough it'll freeze like that?" Damon made an even worse face and Elena laughed before shutting the bathroom door with a soft click. Once inside the bathroom, Elena's breezy attitude left her as she stared at her reflection for several long moments. Her normally tan skin was flushed a rosy shade of pink—whether from pleasure or embarrassment was a toss up. Her eyes were heavy lidded from her late night doing—her mind screeched to a halt—naughty things, she supplied, with Damon. She sighed as she turned on the tap, grabbed her toothbrush, squeezed some paste on it and began to brush her teeth.

Her mind tortured her with guilt. She'd cheated on Stefan—well not technically, but her sleeping with Damon would definitely break his heart. Elena couldn't deny she felt badly, but she'd grown so tired of Stefan's constant struggle over what he was and while Stefan bemoaned his fate to the point of being a huge downer to everyone around him—Damon reveled in it. As far as Elena was concerned as long as Damon wasn't making 'happy-meals' out of the population of Mystic falls, she preferred the 'guilt-free' vampire boyfriend. As a matter of fact, after last night, Elena felt_ alive_! It was a feeling she hadn't had since the night her parents died. She felt giddy and fearless—like her old self was coming out of a cryonic freeze or something just as monumental! She thought of how Stefan would react to her and Damon and her heart lurched. "Oh God," she muttered, doing her best to ignore the niggling voice in her head that told her she was falling for Damon Salvatore!

"Who are you kidding?" Elena muttered to her reflection after she'd rinsed her mouth. "You've already fallen…and for the 'bad-boy' brother…" She rolled her eyes. "Great."

This situation might totally send Stefan off the deep end, but she simply couldn't help it if the quote-end-quote' "bad brother" turned out to be the 'right one' for her—she simply couldn't! _But_, there was one thing she could and would control, and that was _not_ being like Katherine. She'd make a choice. Elena laid the toothbrush on the counter. A tiny smile curved her lips despite feelings of trepidation; Elena's choice was already made. She knew it in her heart. It had been the moment she'd raised that paddle…

Pushing thoughts of Stefan out of her mind, she splashed some cold water on her face, took a super quick shower and left the bathroom, resigned to give this 'thing' or whatever it was, with Damon a chance. Opening the door, the breath left her body when her eyes landed on the vampire in question. He was back in bed—big shocker there, she thought, and reclining against the headboard, naked, with the sheet pooled dangerously low on his slim hips. Every succulent ripple of muscle in his chest and abs were on display and he looked sinfully delicious. Her heart leaped in her chest as the dull throb between her thighs came back full force as Elena licked her lips in response to his masculine display of physical perfection. It was tough, but somehow Elena managed to keep her composure. "Um…okay, I'm ready," she said, more than a little huskily as her eyes traveled over his near naked form.

Damon pulled the sheet down, and Elena noticed the Calvin Klein's were gone as he waved a hand proudly at his erection and smirked at her. "Me too," he purred with a suggestive wriggle of his brows.

Elena's mouth watered. Oh yes, he was indeed ready to go again, but she rolled her eyes and accused him of having nothing 'but' sex on the brain.

"I'll have you know I think of quite a few other things rather than sex," he told her, pouting.

"And I'm pretty sure I don't want to hear more than a few of them…" she shot back, picking up her sandals for a moment before discarding them. A barefoot breakfast on the beach sounded far more appealing somehow—especially with a half naked Damon for her viewing pleasure.

He made a face. "Probably not," he agreed and then realizing he wasn't getting a replay of earlier this morning, he gave a long sigh, got out of bed and pulled his boxer/briefs back on before sliding a pair of black draw-string pants up his slim hips, muttering something about getting a case of 'blue balls' as he did so!

Elena lightly punched him in the arm and reminded him exactly _how many _times they'd 'indulged' last night. "And…" she reminded him with a raised brow, "are you already forgetting about this morning too?" She crossed her arms and gave him a chiding expression, "I think your—" she glanced down at his lingering erection, "friends should be just fine," she retorted with a smirk.

Damon made an agreeing, *Mmhmmm* sound as he shrugged on a black button down shirt, but (to Elena's pleasure) left it unbuttoned so that his sculpted abs and chest were visible. "I guess you're right—you did keep me up most the night..." he teased, reaching out and swiftly taking her hand. He yanked her to him, bent her over his arm and leaned down so that their lips were only an inch apart. "It's only because I'm such a stud that I was able to perform at all this morning!" he joked, bringing her back up, before twirling her around the room at a dizzying pace.

Elena easily fell into the steps of the dance that was done at every 'Founder's day' celebration. Her 'real' Mother had taught her the dance since she was old enough to walk. "Me?" she exclaimed as Damon spun her again. Her world careened with wild abandon. Her dress flared as he twirled her around his body and she laughed with delight as he executed the intricate steps perfectly. It was breathtaking, the pace with which he moved them along and Elena's head spun as he suddenly pulled her back into his arms again and waltzed her across the room. It made her feel reckless, so she went with it, giving him a naughty wink. "I think you have that backwards, buddy. You were the one who woke me up this morning—or are you growing senile in your old age?" she taunted.

Damon stared with rapt hunger as Elena teased and laughed with a careless kind of joy he'd never really heard before…but then again, who could possibly be so carefree while hanging out with his mopey brother? His chest tightened at the utter happiness on her face. She was gorgeous and he supposed his current desire for her could wait for breakfast and a sunrise.

He stopped spinning her suddenly and she tumbled into his arms, blinking at him rapidly as she got her bearings back. He smiled down at her and wrapped one arm around her waist. "Ready to see another slice of heaven?" Elena stared up at him, wetting her lips as she slowly nodded. "Okay, close your eyes," he said softly, turning her so that she faced away from him. He rested his chin on her shoulder as he placed his hands over her eyes. "You're going to love this…" he promised softly.

She already was and Elena let out a breathless little laugh as he guided her blindly across the room. "Why do I need to close my eyes when you have your hands over them?"

He chuckled as he gently propelled her out the door and onto the beach. "Good point…" he said, rubbing his cheek against hers, "but—just to be safe…keep em closed," he demanded softly. Elena sighed, enjoying the soft sand between her toes as she snuggled back against him patiently waiting for him to make his presentation. Damon waited for just the right moment—when the colors of the sun rising off the ocean were so shockingly bright it was almost painful to see. "Ready?" Elena nodded again, heart thumping. Damon gave a soft purr into her ear. "One-two-okay look," he said before taking his hands away with a dramatic 'ta-da'.

Elena blinked, and then gasped with delight as the brilliant orange, pink, purple and yellow hues of the sunrise blazed across her vision and the sky. It was simply breathtaking and she stared in awe. "Oh my God," she breathed, "it's so beautiful." Elena's throat closed up. She was overwhelmed that Damon had thought to share something so simple, yet amazing as a sunrise with her.

He made an *mmmm* sound. "Very," he agreed softly.

Elena glanced over her shoulder to tell him how special this was, but the words died in her throat and she flushed with pleasure when she realized he was staring at her when he'd said that and not the sunrise. "Damon," she said, turning in his arms to loop her own around his neck. His magnificent aquamarine eyes were open, unguarded and filled with emotion—in that moment Elena froze, floored at the tenderness she saw in his expression. This was a whole new side of Damon that, until today, she'd seen only briefly, but never explored. With a soft moan, she tunneled her fingers in the soft hair at the nape of his neck and brought his head down for a kiss. "Thank you," she murmured against his petal soft lips, before kissing him so tenderly, as if _he_ were the fragile one between the two of them. And maybe he was. After all he'd been hurt once before, yet here he was, opening himself up again, trusting her not to do it again.

He stayed still, allowing Elena to control the kiss. Growling with pleasure when her tongue slipped past his lips to slide along his intimately. Their mouths mated, tongues dueling for dominance for several seconds before Damon raised his head and captured her face in his hands. He hunkered down so that they were eye to eye and stared at her intensely for several seconds. Something flashed in his eyes, something raw and hungry before he blurted out, "Marry me."

It was a toss up as to who looked more surprised at his hasty proposal. Elena gaped at him and Damon stared back, wide eyed and blinking rapidly as the enormity of what he'd just said hit home.

"What did you just say?" Elena gasped.

"Um…" Damon said, swallowing hard.

"You asked me to marry you!"

"Uh…yeah." He made a face.

"Are you serious?"

"Do you want me to be," he asked, rather than answering.

"Damon!" she practically growled. "For once just answer the question, will you?"

He studied her intently before heaving a drawn out sigh. "Why not," he finally said. "We obviously get along—we even did the BFF thing before the sex—why not?" he asked again, warming to the idea now.

She took a step back, eyes the size of saucers as she gazed up at him. Her expression clearly said she was waiting for him to say 'aha-got'cha!' He just stared back, but he did look a little stunned. Elena opened and closed her mouth several times before she finally sputtered, "That's—have you lost your mind?" She folded her arms over her chest and shook her head at him. "Be serious, Damon."

Damon stepped closer. "I am serious," he said, and he was. If she married him Elena would be his, no questions asked—not even Saint Stefan would question wedding vows. When she simply stared at him wide eyed and mumbled that he was insane, his brows lowered and he scowled at her. "Calling me crazy is a tad harsh, wouldn't you say? A simple, 'no, would suffice."

Elena's jaw dropped another inch and her heart began a rapid tattoo in her chest. He _was_ serious! "Damon," she gasped, "we—it's—well we just can't!"

"Why not?" he replied. "What's wrong with being spontaneous once in a while? Isn't that why you bid on me to begin with? You wanted to let go—be the wild child that's still there…" He slid his hands up her hips, along her ribcage—leaving tingles in his wake as he attempted to seduce her into seeing the logic in his request. "I see the free spirit inside you, Elena—it's bursting to get out," he said, tapping her lightly on the chest, right above where her heart was thundering. "It's still alive…" he whispered, pulling her closer to his body. His lips nuzzled the spot right under her ear. "Let it out—who's to stop us from flying to Vegas and getting married if we want to?"

He said that as if he was saying let's go to the bar and have a few shots! Getting married was not something to decide on a whim after a night of amazing sex! "Well, first off I'm not even close enough to being drunk!" she said, trying to joke. He scowled at her and she frowned in reply. "Also, I'm not quite 18. It wouldn't even be legal," she pointed out.

His grin was positively lecherous. "Sweetheart, half the things we did last night aren't legal in most states."

Elena's face blossomed with color as wicked, heated memories of her and Damon doing the most sinfully delicious things rushed through her mind and flooded her body with residual desire. "You think you're so clever," she said, tamping down the lust he inspired.

He shrugged. "Well, at least that's a step up from crazy."

"Most psychopaths are clever," Elena muttered.

"Ouch!" he said with a laugh, snaking his arms around her again. He pulled her into his body. "Witty too…" he said rubbing his cheek along hers. "That's another thing about you that I adore, Elena," he told her, taking a little nibble at her earlobe. Elena whimpered and her pulse pounded, accelerrating when he trailed soft, wet kisses down her throat. Now that he'd admitted he wanted her as his, and only his, he was determined to convince her too and he wasn't above using her desire for him to get his way. "It's not that crazy, Elena...and so what if you're not 18," he said softly, suckling at the pulse that was throbbing in her neck. Elena moaned and let her head fall back. Damon smiled. "That's in what…? Ten days?" She blinked open heavy lidded eyes and nodded, her face showing her hazy surprise that he knew her birthday. He winked. "Not a big deal—we just won't tell anyone for ten days."

Elena pulled herself out of his arms. She had to remove herself from his touch if she wanted to think clearly. He reached for her. "No!" she said, slapping his hand. "I--I need to think," she said by way of explanation. How could she even consider this? But how could she not? He was turning into everything she'd ever wanted in a man. He was hot--no, not just hot--Damon was delicious. Pure and simple. Sex on legs and now that she'd had a taste, she'd never be able to look at him as only a friend. Never, but did she want to marry him? Could she marry him? Technically she wasn't legal...but she also knew he could compel a minister into performing a ceremony, so really, her age wasn't an issue. What was an issue was whether what was between them was serious or a fling? She needed to know where he stood and she wanted answers before she even agreed to give the idea her attention.

She took a deep breath before facing him again."Why?" she asked, worrying her bottom lip, but keeping her chin high. Elena stared into his eyes as if trying to figure out the riddle that was Damon Salvatore. "Why do you want to marry me?"

He flashed his trade-marked smirk as his eyes darted around without actually meeting hers. "You really need to ask?"

"Yeah, I really do. Why?" she asked again, crossing her arms and getting that mulish expression he recognized.

She could be like a bulldog with a bone at times and Damon knew she'd never consider his proposal until she got the answers she was looking for. He sighed and gave a negligent shrug. "Because you're gorgeous, a wildcat in bed and not the worst company I've ever had." He fluttered his impossibly long lashes at her. "Happy now?"

"Totally ecstatic!" she replied, rolling her eyes. "Every girl just dreams of a romantic proposal like that."

His brows drew down, but he didn't look away. His stare was magnetic. "I can be romantic," he said, sweeping an arm at the crew who were, as they spoke, setting fresh flowers around their little encampment and readying the grills again to make them breakfast. "What do you want me to say, Elena?" She swallowed, but nothing came out and she simply shook her head at a loss as to how to put her own jumbled emotions into words. He cupped her face in his hands and Elena's eyes shot back up to his face. "I want you—need you." His thumbs traced the contours of her cheeks as they stared at each other, lost in each other. "Somewhere along the line you saw something in me—something I didn't even remember I possessed…and it changed me." He lowered his head until their lips were barely an inch apart. "You believe in me and make me want to be a better person, Elena." He kissed her gently. "Will you marry me?"

Despite the tiny twinge of disappointment that he hadn't admitted he was in love with her, Elena was warmed immensely. Her heart melted—now this was the part of him she'd suspected for some time lay beneath his hard shell and snarky sarcasm, and while he may deny having a soul—she'd seen proof he did more than once. There was good in Damon. He just needed the right woman to bring it out in him. For the first time, Elena actually believed that might be her. She took his hands. "You shouldn't sound so surprised, Damon. You have a good side—I've seen it and last night was by far the most romantic night of my life," she told him honestly, her heart shining in her eyes.

"So is that a yes?" he asked with a grin.

Elena gave him another 'you're insane' look, but this time she didn't say it, instead she gazed at him under her lashes and said, "It's a…" She paused, "I'm thinking about it."

"Not a yes, but better than don't be ridiculous!" he teased. Elena swatted him playfully on the arm and he made a show about rubbing his arm as if she could really hurt him.

"You're such a drama queen!" Elena taunted, giggling and moving out of his reach when he would have grabbed her.

He used his vampire speed and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. "Did you just call me a queen?" he murmured into her ear roughly, sending shivers down her spine. "After last night I think you know very well I prefer women!"

A small burst of laughter slipped from her as his hands ran along her ribcage, tickling her. "I said 'drama queen'," she gasped, trying to escape those torturous digits."Like heavy on the drama rather than queen part!"

He stopped tickling and allowed her to catch her breath. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist, hands splayed on her belly. "It is pretty here…" he said, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"It's perfect," Elena said with a sigh, leaning back into his embrace.

They stayed like that for several minutes until Damon felt Elena's tummy rumble under his palms. "Someone's hungry," he teased, nibbling at her ear. Elena gasped and arched her back, rubbing her bottom against his groin. Damon groaned softly. "Mmmm...Are you ready for breakfast or are you hungrier for something else—like me?"

Elena smiled, and took his hand. "Let's go for the food first—then desert…"

Damon gave a little growl. "Have I told you I like the way you think, Miss Gilbert?" he said as she led him towards their table and the decadent array of food.

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Katherine drummed her nails on the table of the luxurious hotel suite she and Isobel had stayed in the previous night. A tiny frown marred the beauty of her face as she beat a steady tapping with her long red nails. There still had been no word on Damon's whereabouts and it was obvious she was getting a bit peckish about it. Finally she stopped the constant thrumming and poured herself another cup of the expensive coffee the hotel had provided. She added a teaspoon of sugar and a dollop of cream into the dark, aromatic brew before pinning Isobel to the carpet with her narrowed eyed gaze. "Call John Gilbert again," she demanded with a petulant scowl, stirring the coffee—creating a new symphony of displeasure with the clink-clink-clink of her spoon as she stirred. "Tell him he better have news of where the hell my wayward ex-lover is or deal or no deal—he's toast!" She set the spoon on the tiny china plate under her cup and lifted the delicate mug to her lips. She made an *mmm* sound of pleasure as the sweet brew slid down her throat. "I do love fresh brewed coffee—well as long as it's expensive, that is," she said with a sigh before she glanced at Isobel and her eyes darkened in anger again. A cruel little smile turned her lush lips upwards. "Oh and if you think that silly little ring you gave him will stop me—think again. Hands can be removed, you know," she added with a smirk.

Isobel shifted from foot to foot, hating how Katherine seemed to see right inside her head with that dark eyed gaze of hers. "Kath, I thought we came to Mystic Falls to get the invention…"

The older vampiress shrugged negligently. "That was always part of my plan, but not all of it. I want the invention and Damon. I always did, I just never bothered to tell you."

"Why? I thought you were done with the Salvatore brothers."

Katherine's trilling laughter filled the room. "Izzy, I said I was done being in between the Salvatore brothers and I am. You really need to pay attention," she chided. "I've made a choice and I've picked Damon…"

"Why?" Isobel asked again.

Scowling, Katherine set her cup down on the china plate hard enough that it made a loud clatter. Isobel took a hasty step back, when Katherine got that look on her face it could mean something violent was about to happen. "Does it matter? Since when are you in charge?" she snapped. "The only thing you need to know is that I've decided I want him back." Katherine held her hand up, warding off any further comment on the subject. "No, I've made up my mind and you know how I get when I want something…I'll allow nothing to stand in my way—that includes you, John Gilbert and your little look-a-like daughter. So you're either with me or against me." Before Isobel could even blink Katherine had risen from her chair and blurred across the room to grab her by the throat. She lifted Isobel off her feet with one hand. Isobel's hands went to her throat and she gasped for breath she didn't need. Katherine giggled and shook her. "Silly girl—you don't breathe anymore, remember?" She shook the young vampiress harshly. "I won't have you and Gilbert plotting behind my back, Izzy, so make up your mind now…'team Katherine' or 'team Gilbert'. Your choice, sweetie," Katherine said with a smile that belied the cruelty Isobel saw blazing in her eyes.

"I'd never betray you, Katherine. I swear…" Isobel choked out, whimpering as Katherine's grip tightened for a moment before she let Isobel go, dropping her to the ground with a thud.

Katherine stood over her, hands on her hips as she studied Isobel in a way that made the woman on the ground squirm. "You think I don't know that John wants to use that device on Damon and Stefan?" Katherine's eyes turned black. "You can give him another message from me when you call him…tell him he goes after my boys and I kill his daughter." Katherine's beautiful face morphed into her vampire visage and she grinned wickedly at Isobel.

"How did you…?" Isobel gasped eyes wide as she inched back a foot, her fear of Katherine rising up and nearly choking her as harshly as the older vampiress' grip had earlier.

Katherine paused for a beat to enjoy Isobel's fear before she allowed her face to return to its perfect human features. She flashed a teasing little smile, one corner of her lips turning up as she asked, "How did I what? That you and John were plotting against me or that my little doppelganger was really John's?"

"Both I guess," Isobel admitted softly.

Rolling her eyes with dramatic flair, Katherine flounced back to the table she'd vacated. "Seriously…give me a _little_ credit, will you?" She sat back down in her chair and picked up her cup again. "As for how I knew…" She raised a brow as she took a sip of her coffee, smirking at Isobel over the rim, "that's for me to know and you…" she paused, obviously enjoying the game, "not to," she finished with a dainty shrug, effectively letting Isobel know the conversation was over. She set the cup down and tossed Isobel her cell phone. "Now call the 'not-so-clever' Mr. Gilbert and remind him if he's failed again I might just decide he's outlived his usefulness!"

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**Back at the beach:**

Breakfast was exquisite. There were fresh baked croissants, scones, Belgian waffles, fruit salad and the chef was prepared to make her any style omelet she chose. Elena swallowed another bite of her waffle with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, making an *mmmm* sound before taking a small sip of her fresh squeezed orange juice. She rolled her eyes in pleasure—everything was amazing. She dug her fork into another heavenly piece of waffle—added a little syrup and smiled at Damon who was digging into a steak and cheddar omelet like he actually needed the food to regain his stamina. "So…" she said, fork pausing in mid air, "how did you know we'd even still be here for breakfast?" She raised a brow as she popped the bite of waffle into her mouth, licking her lips clean of any whipped cream left there. "That sure of yourself were you?" she asked only half jokingly—a small part of her was upset he'd made these arrangements as if it was a given she'd sleep with him—even if she had, he shouldn't have just assumed she would!

He smiled arrogantly and wiggled his brows back at her and almost fell into his usual sarcasm by reminding her 'as if she could resist him', but decided on the truth instead. "I didn't," he said with a shrug. "While you were sleeping, I snuck out here, tipped 'em an extra fifteen hundred bucks and asked them to come back this morning at sunrise to make breakfast."

Her righteous fury left her in a rush and Elena felt the last of her walls against his charm crumble. He was so multifaceted—complicated to the extreme, but he was also by far the sexiest, most outrageously delicious man she'd ever met. Damon was like fine chocolate—you knew you really shouldn't take that first bite, but once you did, you couldn't put it down and ended up eating the whole box! Normally she wouldn't indulge in such risky pleasures, but she'd already partaken and now she was hooked and he was right about one thing—she had decided she wanted to become the spontaneous, fun Elena that she used to be, but was this spontaneity or insanity? She dropped her fork on her plate and leaned across the table to look Damon right in the eye. "What would you do if I said yes?"

He blinked rapidly for a moment before a slow smiled turned one side of his mouth up. "If—when you say yes," he clarified with a smirk, "I'll get my phone and charter us a jet—pronto…before you can even think of changing your mind," he said, picking up his champagne mixed with orange juice drink that Elena learned was called a Mimosa.

Elena paused, heart thudding rapidly as she debated taking this wild ride with him. He saw her hesitation and pounced, using her attraction for him as a tool to sway her answer. "So…" he asked, reaching across the table to grab her hand and bring it to his lips. "Are you finally saying yes?" he asked, sucking one of her fingers into the hot cavern of his wonderful mouth.

Elena shivered, but froze simultaneously. That 'wild-child' Damon saw in her said, yes, yes, yes! But sensible—stable Elena caused the words to lodge in her throat like day-old dry bread. Damon placed a wet kiss on her wrist and Elena moaned softly, closing her eyes. This was crazy! Absolute insanity, but oh God she wanted to take the leap. His lips moved up her arm, trailing fiery kisses along her flesh and leaving goose-bumps in his wake. Elena's head tipped, resting on the back of the chair as she let out a breathy moan. "Yes," she whispered. "God help me, but yes—I'll marry you."

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****Okay guys, yes this is getting way longer than intended, BUT you have ONLY yourselves to blame! lol! You have all asked me to make this longer and longer so like I said earlier, I simply HAD to add a plot. You DO realize this was *supposed* to be just a simple PWP piece! Lol!**

**Anyhow, it's still not a "real" drama because the "Viva-Las Vegas" chappie is going to be funny again! So I hope you like this so far…sorry I haven't updated in a while, but like I said in my A/N—too much trauma makes musie not productive. Hope this satisfies the craving before you all decide to lynch me! lol! ;) :) :) :)**

***Now remember to click the button: feed the musie beast and we'll all leave here fat and happy, right? lol!***

**Jen :) :)**


	5. Chapter 5

The Auction

Part 5: Viva Las Vegas

A fic by Angel's blue eyed girl

Disclaimer: I…*sobs* own none of Damon…*hiccups* or any of the other TVD characters! *wipes eyes tearfully* Though, I wish I did, but alas, I don't, so don't sue me!

A/N: Okay, I know I've been lax on sending out replies, but I haven't been able to write—when my MaMattie died, everything just froze. I also lost so much data when my computer crashed a few weeks ago—so I've been kind-a like—ugh—but today it just clicked, and so I wrote this entire chappie today! I know—freaked me out too! Lol! :) :) :)

I also want to say thank you to each and every one of you who R&R. It really means so much to see the feedback—hey, just so you know, a lot of times you guys reviewing gives me ideas for the fic. So seriously, I want you to know how much your reviews inspire me. Just thanks because they totally brightens my day. :) :)

Now, I know this fic is way longer than originally planned, but you all seem to be happy about that so I hope you enjoy this part—it's a bit more plot driven, so don't flame me for no hardcore smut—kay? ;) So…enough of me and on with the show. Right? Right. :)

xoxo

Jen

**Folly Beach:**

The sun was shining brightly in the sky when Elena awoke again. After she'd agreed to his spontaneous proposal; Damon had whisked her back to bed quicker than a blink of an eye and had kept her there—suspended in a perpetual state of euphoria until she'd finally fallen asleep in a blissful state of utter exhaustion.

"Mmmm," she murmured softly, reaching across the bed, expecting to find Damon's hard body somewhere in the king-sized bed, but to her dismay all she felt were cool sheets. Her brows lowered as she sat up, clutching the sheet to her breast. "Damon?" she called, looking around the cabana for him. No answering reply came and Elena felt her throat close up. Had he changed his mind—decided he'd gotten what he'd wanted from her and left? Her stomach churned and she swallowed the bile that rose in her throat at the thought. It was too sickening to even contemplate and it left a bad taste in her mouth. She swallowed again. "D-Damon?" she said again, this time louder and with a ton more apprehension.

Before she could call for him again, he poked his head in the doorway. "Aahh...so 'Sleeping Beauty' has finally decided to grace me with her presence," he teased, sauntering into the room, dressed in nothing more than a pair of white, low slung, draw-string pants and a straw, fedora styled hat that made him look like some kind of sexy island drifter.

Even as her eyes ate him up, Elena sagged back into the pillows, letting out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. "Where were you?" she asked, still clutching the sheet in front of her like a shield.

He shrugged. "Tying up some loose ends," he replied.

She waited for a further, more detailed explanation, but he just flashed that signature smirk and started pulling out some clothes for her. "I'd suggest you get up, princess—as much as I want to lounge in bed with you all day—we have a flight to catch," he said, dropping a pile of clothes at the foot of the bed.

Elena's brows rose to her hairline as she recognized her own jeans, top and…she blushed, underwear too. "Where did you get those?" she asked.

He frowned at her. "Your house—where do you think?" He didn't add the *duh* but she heard it just the same.

"You went to my house while I was sleeping?"

Damon blinked at her. "You're not normally this slow…" He grinned. "You know, Elena," he said with a slow, wicked smile, "the term 'fuck your brains out' isn't supposed to be literal!" Elena's eyes widened at that comment and her face went red with fury. She sputtered to find something to say back, but found she was too angry to speak so she settled on tossing a pillow at him. He laughed, dodging the fluffy missile easily. "Yes, Elena," he said, lithely side-stepping the next goose-downed projectile she hurled at him. "I went to your house. I had to get you some clothes and to make sure your Aunt hadn't filed a missing persons report--happy?" he asked, coming back to the foot of the bed and tipping his hat back. His aquamarine eyes danced with mirth and he flashed her the most adorable grin, Elena couldn't stop her lips from twitching.

But she had to at least_ try_ and pretend to be angry. "You're such an ass!" she huffed, crossing her arms, but there was no heat behind it and Damon simply shrugged as if in agreement with her estimation of his character. "So you compelled her?" Elena asked, worrying her bottom lip--she hated playing games with her friends and families' minds.

This time Damon did make a *duh* sound. "Of course I compelled her," he said as if speaking to a child. "What did you think—we'd just call her with the whole 'the car broke down excuse'?" Elena looked away and plucked at the comforter--it had sounded plausible to her. He snorted. "Like she'd really buy that!"

"Okay--fine," Elena agreed. "But you didn't add any of your weird suggestions did you?"

Damon raised a brow. "And what weird suggestions would that be?"

"Never mind," Elena sighed. While she may not be happy with him for compelling Jenna—at least she wasn't going to have an angry Aunt to deal with and that was a good thing. But what about the fact that waking up without him had hurt so badly? Elena closed her eyes. Damon could really hurt her now and that wasn't as comforting a thought. While she trusted that he did care—what if he got his 'Katherine' back—where would that leave her? Elena sighed, gathering up her clothes as she forced herself to shy away from her inner concerns. She noticed he'd only brought her one change of clothes and none of them were dresses. "I'm going to need more clothes than just this," she said, pursing her lips.

"I know, but I was in a hurry and I figured we could just go shopping when we get there." He exhaled loudly. "Just get ready, Elena," he said, tossing his things in a travel bag. Impatience dripped from every word, but he looked anxious—nervous almost, and Elena realized he was fully expecting her to call a halt to this whole plan at any moment.

She dropped her jeans back on the bed and gathered the sheet around her body toga-style as she crossed the room to stand in front of him. She leaned up to cup his face in her palms and brought his gaze to hers. His aqua eyes were filled with emotion and Elena's breath caught. "I said yes, Damon—I meant it," she told him, leaning up on her toes to kiss him gently on the lips. When she would have pulled away, he clutched her to him tightly for a second before letting her go. The smirk was lurking at the corner of his lips again, and Elena shook her head at him as if warning him _not_ to say whatever he was thinking.

She grabbed her things, headed into the bathroom, trailing the long white sheet after her--she never noticed the look of absolute longing on Damon's face--it might have made her feel more secure if she had. A quick shower later and Elena was throwing the last of her belongings in the duffle bag Damon had supplied for her. She sipped up the bag. "Okay, ready," she said, swallowing hard as the meaning of those words sank in.

At her words, Damon's face broke into a real honest to God smile. "Alrighty then, next stop…Sin City, baby!" he purred as he grabbed both their bags and ushered her out to the waiting Limo.

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**Hotel in Virginia:**

Isobel hung up the phone and turned to Katherine; who was pacing back and forth across the room, her impatience practically oozing off her in waves of frustration. "Elena called Jenna and told her she wouldn't be home for two more days."

Katherine paused in her pacing. "How do you know that?"

"John," Isobel replied. "He went by there and talked to jenna."

"Well?" katherine asked, "Where are they?"

"South Carolina," Isobel answered.

"South Carolina!" Katherine exclaimed. A niggling memory tugged at her and Katherin tilted her head as she tried to grasp it--it was something Damon had said once, but finally, when she couldn't place it she gave up and glared at Isobel. "Well…?" she asked, raising a brow, "did she say _where_ in South Carolina? Or am I supposed to search the entire state?"

Isobel took a deep breath--a part of her wanted to send Katherine off to South Carolina, but the part of ehr that wanted to live realized the danger in that, so she told the other woman the truth. "They're not really in Soputh Carolina," she said.

"Oh?" Katherine replied, intrigued. "Do tell...where is my ex-honey and my worthless little twin?"

Isobel gave a small shrug, and bit back the retort she wanted to give for Katherine's description of Elena. Isobel didn't believe it was _that_ hard for the Vampiress to remember Elena was her daughter-so katherine had to be doing it on purpose--this was one of those times when Isobel was reminded what a bitch Kat could be. She pushed those thoughts aside and reported what she knew. "John thought it sounded suspicious so he checked flight reservations…" Isobel paused as if waiting for Katherine to ask what he found, but the older vampiress' growl and heated glare made it clear she was in no mood to have this information turn into a 20 questions game so Isobel quickly told her about the flight reservation Damon had booked for him and Elena to Las Vegas.

Katherine's brows rose nearly to her hairline. "Las Vegas!" Her eyes narrowed for a moment before they widened. "He couldn't be—no, he wouldn't dare…" Then she tossed her head back and laughed like she'd just won the lottery. "Oh, but he would and love every minute of it too!" she said, grabbing her belly as she giggled some more. Isobel seemed puzzled and Katherine's girlish laughter stopped abruptly. "Oh come on...don't you see?" she asked the younger vampiress. When Isobel simply stared, Katherine rolled her eyes. "Why do people run off to Vegas, Izzy?" she asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot.

It took only a second and the other woman gasped as realization hit her. "But they can't! Elena's only seventeen. How could they possibly get married?"

Katherine sighed. "Surely you're not really asking me that?" She waved a hand, flashing her ring. "Hello--vampire--remember?"

Isobel nodded. "You're right--he could just compel a minister or get her forged documents." Isobel studied Katherine, "So what's the plan now? John says Damon still has the device, but without Elena or him in town, it's not like we can force him into giving it to us."

"Forget the damned device for now, Izzy!" Katherine snapped. Her eyes narrowed, before a devious little smirk quirked the corner of her lips upward. "I need to get ready…book us a car—tell them to be here ASAP," Katherine said, heading for the bathroom, "we're going to Vegas."

Isobel watched as the door to the bathroom shut. Katherine hadn't even waited to see if her demand was being met, as if she had no doubts she'd be obeyed and with a sigh, Isobel admitted to herself she was right. She sat on the edge of the bed, picked up the hotel phone and ordered a car to pick them up at the hotel and take them to the nearest airport. After she'd completed that task, she grabbed her cell phone, went out onto the balcony so that Katherine wouldn't hear her and called John.

"She's following them to Vegas," she hissed.

On the other end of the phone, John Gilbert shrugged. "Well, this should be interesting because so am I."

"Don't get in her way," Isobel warned, glancing at the glass doors, looking for any signs of Katherine.

"Wouldn't dream of it," John replied arrogantly. "She can have Damon—hell, they deserve each other. I just want that device."

Isobel heard the bathroom door open. "Gotta go! I'll call you when we get to Vegas," she whispered and hung up the phone.

Katherine opened the doors. "All ready?" he asked, a knowing smirk on her face.

Isobel unobtrusively dropped the phone into her pocket. "Yeah, the car will be here in twenty minutes."

Katherine nodded. "Good," was all she said, but her smile had a cruel edge to it.

Isobel had the sinking sensation the elder vampire had heard every word of her conversation. "John is going to Vegas too," she admitted, knowing Katherine's temper and penchant for violence—Isobel had no desire for her to turn that rage on her.

"I know," Katherine said, turning on her heel and heading back into the room. "When will you ever learn, Izzy—you can't fool me?" she called over her shoulder. Isobel followed her into the room and Katherine rounded on her. "Now get your ass in gear and get us packed!" Her eyes glowed black for a second before they changed back to her human chocolate brown, and she grinned. "I don't have time, so I'm afraid that chore is going to fall upon your shoulders, but you don't mind, right?" Isobel shook her head and Katherine gave her a false smile of gratitude as she gathered together her outfit for the day. "I'd help, but I need to make sure I look my absolute best." She batted her lashes in a girlish manner that belied the ruthless killer she really was. "I knew you'd understand, Izzy. I mean it might be okay for you to show up looking like that," she said waving a hand at Isobel, "But not me. I simply have to look fabulous because really, one had _better_ look outstanding if you're going to break up a wedding, right?" she said with a wicked little grin before she grabbed her makeup bag and once again headed into the bathroom.

With a long sigh Isobel began gathering together the clothes Katherine had flung across the room pell-mell in her search for the perfect outfit. More often than not, she felt like Katherine's maid, but then again Katherine was Katherine—she'd never change and Isobel had realized that when she began her friendship with the older vampiress. Katherine was a vain, selfish creature, but when she turned all her attention on you and smiled—it was like the sun had just risen upon you. She was magnetic, yet dangerous. John may be right. Damon and Katherine did deserve each other, because her memories of the elder Salvatore brother were very much like the way she felt with Katherine. He was addictive—once she'd had a taste she'd wanted everything he could give her and he had. He'd turned her, then left her on her own—that was when Katherine had found her, curious to see the 'pet' Damon had made, and then abandoned.

The phone rang, startling Isobel out of her reverie. She grabbed it and after confirming they'd be downstairs in ten minutes, she pushed thoughts of Damon and Katherine aside and rushed to get them ready to leave because as magnetic and charming as Katherine could be—she could also be petulant and very cruel when things didn't go exactly like she wanted. Isobel had no desire to feel her wrath today…

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**Las Vegas:**

Damon and Elena touched ground a little after three PM. Elena noticed the time and made a face. "It's weird—we left at three and got here at 3:05—like the flight took five minutes ago."

Damon made a face. "I take it you don't feel the jet lag?" Elena smiled up at him and shook her ehad no. He rolled his eyes. "Well, at least with the time zone change, we just gained three hours of fun!" he said with a wicked little smile. Elena couldn't help but return his enthusiasm. He was like a kid in a candy store—practically skipping them along the tarmac. This was a whole new side of Damon and she loved it. Her smile widened as he wrapped his arms around her and spun her in a circle—spinning her wildly until her eyes crossed and she begged him to stop. He set her back on her feet and steadied her with a hand on her arm. "Welcome to Sin City, kitten," he said with a wink. "Here anything goes and what happens in Vegas—stays in Vegas!"

She held onto his biceps until her head stopped spinning. "So our marriage will stay here too," she teased, looking up at him under her lashes.

"Except that," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her to him. "Once you say 'I Do' you're mine and no one can take you away—not even Saint Stefan."

Elena dug her heels in and paused. "Is that what this is about, Damon?" she asked, forcing him to stop too. "You wanting Stefan to know I chose you?"

He frowned as he debated how to answer that kind of loaded question. "Partly…" he answered slowly. He'd never lied to Elena and he didn't plan to start now. "Okay, I'll admit, it was a spur of the moment kind of thing, but once I really thought about it, I realized you make me feel..." He stepped back from her and shrugged, "human," he admitted. Elena's eyes widened, but the pleasure she felt at those words was evident on her face and Damon sensed it and stepped close again. He ran his knuckles along her cheek, his eyes searching hers intently. "You see something in me that I thought had died a very long time ago—you see something worth saving," he told her quietly as he slid his thumb along her lip. Elena made a soft sound of pleasure and Damon leaned down and brushed his lips across hers in a whisper soft kiss. "You make me want to do…good, Elena and that's not who I am, but with you—it is." His hands moved to her arms and slid up to cup her shoulders and he paused, hunkering down so that they were eye to eye. "Does that make any sense or do I sound as crazy to you as I do to me?"

Nearly melting at his feet into a pile of Elena goo, she smiled. Damon blinked at her rapidly—it was like the sun rising all over again and he was in awe. Elena stepped into his arms and buried her fingers in the hair at the nape of his neck. "You don't sound crazy at all. That's beautiful," she whispered, leaning up to kiss him. He hugged her tightly and kissed her back. After the kiss started becoming a bit of a groping session, a couple of hoots and hollers from a few of the bystanders in the airport made them break apart. Elena flushed the shade of a ripe tomato as she glanced around and her gaze met a few of the knowing eyes of the people watching them.

"Guess gambling isn't going to be the first thing they'll be doing!" someone said and there was some laughter from the crowd. "I think you two need to get a room!" another one shouted. "Hope you're here to marry the girl!" a woman's voice called out. A few more suggestions and hollers followed…some ribald enough to make Elena sputter and blush all over again, even more furiously than before.

Damon merely grinned and sighed dramatically, playing to their little gathering of onlookers. "_Yep_, we're here to get hitched," he said. He flashed a dazzling smile at the crowd as his arm tightened around Elena, holding her close when she wanted to bolt. "Does anyone know a good chapel around here? I better make an honest woman out of her before she totally ruins my reputation!" he joked, earning more than a few chuckles from the guys in the crowd.

More than a bit embarrassed, Elena elbowed him in the ribs. "You're such an ass!" she growled, yanking out of his embrace and shoving him away from her.

At that point, Damon wisely stopped his grandstanding and chased after Elena, grabbing her arm before she could storm out of the airport without him. "Elena, c'mon…stop!" he said, taking her hand. She tugged at her hand, but he held firm. "I'm sorry—I was kidding," he said softly, pressing a soft kiss to her ear. He noticed the suited driver standing there with a white card that said 'Salvatore'. Elena noticed it too and glanced at Damon. He nodded. "That's us," he said to the man and Elena. He didn't wait for the driver to acknowledge him, but simply walked out to the stretch Limo waiting outside. He pulled Elena to him. "Don't be mad," he said in an attempt to cajole his fuming soon to be bride into smiling again, "I promise you'll forgive me once you see the room I booked for us at the Palms…"

Elena simply rolled her eyes at him, pulled away from him and made a *pfft* sound. Damon thought he heard an 'as if' as he opened the door for her, but even with his vampire hearing he wasn't sure she'd actually said it or if she'd just gave him such a look that he imagined it. Either way, he did heave a long sigh when she climbed in the car, refusing his offer to help her and settled back into the seat her arms over her chest, staring mutinously ahead with a sour expression that even Damon had no intention of messing with.

Damon went to get in the car. "Nice…" he commented as he noticed how she was glued to the far side of the seat—as far away from him as she could get without actually getting out of the car. "Planning on doing a 'Spidey' up the wall, kitten?" he asked wryly, getting into the car and shutting the door behind him.

Elena grabbed the door handle. "Maybe I'll just jump out and go home!" she shot back.

"Elena…" he sighed, sliding across the seat. "I don't want to fight with you." But Elena practically climbed the wall to avoid him, and Damon paused, he couldn't let her separate herself like that. "Elena—kitten—baby..." he said, almost laughing now. She shot him such a hostile look he froze. "Oh come on—what the hell are you so pissed at? It was a joke!"

"You made fun of me—of us!" she snapped, burrowing deeper into the seat.

"Elena, come on, I said I was kidding," Damon said sliding across the seat until he was as close to her as he could, without actually sitting on her lap. Elena shot him a look that should have turned him to ash, but when she didn't move to the seat across from him, Damon figured he was out of the woods—at least for now, and his normal cocky attitude returned. With a satisfied grin, he relaxed into the plush leather seat and casually tossed an arm around Elena's shoulders.

What he didn't count on was Elena's temper and she wasn't ready to forgive just yet. She gave him another sharp elbow to the ribs, causing him to wince before she dragged his arm from around her and threw it back into his lap with a warning of "if he did that again, he'd draw back a nub!"

This time Damon got the hint and retreated. He sighed as his crystal blue eyes observed her angry face. Let her have her tizzy, he thought. She was still here, so basically this was just a disagreement. At least life with her would never be boring. She had a temper that could easily rival his. It was one of the things about Elena that had got his engine revving to begin with—her spirit. She could light up a room when she was mad or excited. He felt his body respond to the fire in her.

Damon licked his lips, he had to admit, it turned him on! And just like that, suddenly, he couldn't wait to get to the hotel…

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**Inside a Limo cruising down a highway:**

"We're never going to make it," Isobel sighed.

Katherine shot her a petulant scowl. "The hell we aren't! Their flight already left—we have to get there in the next thirty minutes if we want to stay close."

"Well if you hadn't taken so long…"

Katherine snarled at her, flashing her fangs. "Go ahead—finish that sentence," she snapped.

Isobel zipped it and leaned back in the seat with another sigh, but Katherine was nothing, if not determined. She rolled down the privacy screen of the Limousine and leaned through the window to face the driver. The car careened a little for a second, but after a little 'compelling' from Katherine, the driver put the pedal to the metal and proceeded to break every speed record known to man and law enforcement to get them to the airport in less than thirty minutes.

Katherine shot Isobel a smug look before directing the limo driver to where she wanted him. "Just pull in to the private entrance…" Her watchful eyes scanned the tarmac looking for her next victim. "Right next to that jet there…" she said with a smile. Still under her compulsion, he nodded mutely and did as she asked.

Isobel barely managed to not roll her eyes as she spied the luxurious jet Katherine was targeting. Leave it to the older vampiress to make sure they traveled in style—it was one of the things that had drawn her in with Katherine to begin with. "So, do we even know if the man who owns this plane is here—or are we just going to start asking who owns this jet?"

Katherine glared at her companion. "Utter another word right now and you'll be riding with my luggage, Izzy," she spat. Just then an enormously long Mercedes Limo pulled up and a tall man got out of it. He looked Arabic and filthy rich. Katherine's eyes glittered. "Ahhh, there he is," she said, signaling to the driver to open her door. The driver got out and opened Katherine's door. Katherine placed her small hand in his larger one, but turned back to give Isobel a smirk, "and I think you'll find he'll be happy to take us to Vegas…" she said with a grin as she got out of the car and confidently made her way over to the man, compelling any and all who got in her way…

Isobel didn't bother to see if she'd succeed. Nothing stopped Katherine when she was determined and it was highly unlikely a man with money to burn would turn down her charms even if she wasn't a vampire…but if by chance he did—well Katherine would just compel him to agree. Isobel had barely gotten out of the car and instructed the driver to get their bags out of the trunk when, as expected, Katherine was waving her over. It had taken her less than three minutes.

Isobel turned to the driver. "Just bring the bags to that plane over there," she ordered, pointing to the plane Katherine was being escorted to as she spoke.

The driver nodded and began carrying Katherine's many bags over to the sleek aircraft. Isobel pulled out her phone and quickly called John. "We're taking a jet," she said.

"I'm waiting for my flight—you'll be there hours before me. Try and keep Katherine occupied until I can get there."

Isobel gave a brittle laugh and snorted. "Yeah, like that's going to happen!" She sighed. "John, you know how Katherine is—I'm not going to try and get in her way. She's decided she wants Damon back. She's going to have him. Personally, I'm happy. Let her have her little reunion—it'll get him away from our daughter."

"Isobel, I've been thinking..." John cleared his throat. "and after going over and over it, I can't agree with you," he finally said.

Isobel's eyes bulged. "So, you think giving him Elena is a better choice!" she quickly glanced at Katherine to see if the other vampiress had heard her since she'd almost shouted that last part. She leaned down and lowered her voice. "Have you lost your mind—or just your nerve?" she hissed. "What changed your mind?" she snarled.

"Nothing-it was just...earlier I was only thinking of getting the device, but now I'm thinking about Elena and I don't think letting Katherine get her claws back into Damon is the best way to handle this situation."

Isobel almost cracked the phone she was gripping it so tightly. "John, have you forgotten we started this mission with the decision we were going to take out the Salvatore brothers, remember?"

John sighed on the other end of the phone. "I know. It's just…letting Katherine win doesn't seem to be the best option."

"Katherine always wins, John," Isobel replied. "When are you going to see that?"

"She doesn't have to this time," he retorted. "You're the one with your head so far up her ass you can't see that!"

Isobel reacted as if he'd physically slapped her. She reared back and gasped. "Great, so we just let her boy-toy have our daughter as his pet!" she snapped. "Yeah, great plan," she added venomously. She saw Katherine pause at the door to the plane and glance her way. "Gotta go," Isobel said, hanging up on him and pocketing her phone. It was with great trepidation and some serious regret at ever choosing this life that Isobel carried inside her as she followed after Katherine into the beautiful jet that would fly them 'in style' to Las Vegas and to Elena and Damon.

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**Back in Las Vegas: The Palms Casino Resort.**

Elena had calmed down on the drive to the hotel when Damon began pointing out a few attractions they could take in while in Las Vegas. She gasped when he showed her the Bellagio Fountains water show and the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel. But when he pointed out the Stratosphere roller coaster located on top of the Stratosphere Hotel and casino she positively squealed. Their excitement fed on and fueled the others and it wasn't long before Elena and Damon were ecstatic to be here all over again. When they pulled up in front of the Palms, Elena almost climbed over Damon in her rush to see all the sights. But before she could even blink, a valet rushed up and opened their door. Damon held her back as he got out first, flashing a teasing smile at her pouting face before offering his arm to help Elena out of the Limo.

Not even bothering to get offended, Elena climbed out and gazed up and around, wide eyed and thrilled as she took in the enormity of the place with opened mouthed awe. "Wow," she breathed. She'd traveled a bit with her parents, and while they'd had money, Elena had never had the red carpet rolled out like she was experiencing with Damon. As he escorted her to the wide, glass double doors, Elena leaned in to him and whispered, "Um…just exactly how much is this costing and where do you get all the money for this?"

He smirked and allowed another valet to open the door for them. "A hundred and forty five years can give you a hell of a stock portfolio, Elena," he quipped, tucking her arm into the crook of his elbow and escorting her, old world style, into the resort.

It took them no time at all to register. Elena had been a bit embarrassed in how Damon had cut in front of about a hundred people waiting in line, but when she'd whispered her apprehensions to him he'd explained he wasn't paying $69.95 a night for their room and he wasn't waiting in line like he was! She understood his point and pointedly ignored the angry looks from the people in line as Damon dragged her straight to VIP services. They had their room cards in less than five minutes.

As they were riding up in the elevator, Elena gave him a chastising look. "You didn't have to salute that man in line, you know. He's probably been waiting there for like—forever! That place is a zoo!"

Damon shrugged. "Then he should pay the exorbitant amount of money I'm paying a night for our sky villa and he wouldn't have to wait in line," he said, showing no sympathy.

Elena let it drop and switched subjects. "So, did you see Elvis in the lobby?" she asked, giggling.

Damon chuckled. "Which one—fat or skinny?"

"I think it was Elvis 1975—you know, Hawaiian Elvis." She flashed a smile. "I think he was even wearing some leis as a matter of fact."

"Oh yeah, I saw him—definitely skinny Elvis." He pulled her to him and dipped her over his arm and wagged his brows at her outrageously. "Wanna have Elvis marry us?" he asked with a wicked little grin.

Elena pushed him off her. "That's not even funny, Damon," she said with a huge roll of her eyes. Just the thought—she grimaced. "No and let's leave it at that," she stated as they continued the ride up to the penthouse suites.

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**Inside the jet plane:**

Katherine made mention of all the places she wanted to take Damon. She smiled as she mentioned making love next to the Seine and strolling down the streets of London and Milan. She chatted non-stop, selfishly laying out the groundwork on just how she planned on making him forget her pathetic little human doppelganger who'd dared to capture his affections. Isobel listened with half an ear, making *mmhmmm* sounds when appropriate, but she couldn't help but notice Katherine's utter lack of realization that she was blasting Isobel's child, nor did she ever once mention Elena surviving this little trip to Vegas. It was disconcerting to say the least because, while Isobel hadn't really been a mother to Elena, she didn't want to see her dead either. And while she listened to Katherine go on and on about how Damon would forget Elena once she was out of the picture, Isobel couldn't help but feel concern for the daughter she'd abandoned and for the first time in years, the vampiress prayed to a God she no longer believed in, hoping he'd forgive her the sins she'd committed, in order to save the daughter, who deserved his grace.

"Izzy!" Katherine said, interrupting Isobel's inner musings. "Are you even listening to me?"

"I heard you Kath—you want to take Damon to London and Milan and do the nasty along the French river Seine—does that about cover it?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Sarcasm doesn't suit you sweetie," she growled. "I swear…there are times I just know I should have just left you to fend on your own. The only reason I was even interested is because Damon turned you…" she said, leaning her head back on the crème leather seat. Katherine took a sip of the champagne their host had provided. "Go ahead; keep up this ridiculous test of my patience…" Katherine opened her eyes and leveled her malicious gaze on Isobel full force, "and I might decide it isn't just John Gilbert who's more trouble than their worth!"

Isobel shuddered at the sheer malevolence reflected back in those dark chocolate orbs. "I'm sorry, Katherine," she said obediently.

Like the selfish narcissist she was, Katherine waved a hand dismissively. "Apology accepted, but just don't forget who saved you, Izzy…you had no one and I was there for you. You promised me your loyalty—that's not a pledge I take lightly." She paused and smiled at Isobel craftily, "Understand?" she asked with a raised brow.

Isobel was afraid she understood too well. It was going to be herself or Elena who survived this trip, but did she have the redeeming qualities she once had to make the right decision—Isobel worried her bottom lip—she honestly wasn't sure…

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**Bennett House:**

"Can't you sense anything, Bonnie?" Stefan asked again.

Bonnie shot him a dark look and *ssshhhed* him. "If you'd just give me enough time to concentrate without interrupting me, I might," she answered back, sarcasm dripping off her every word.

"I'm sorry," Stefan apologized. "It's just…I'm worried. Damon—he—well you know what he's capable of," he said softly.

Bonnie nodded grimly. "I know," she gritted out before taking a deep breath and gripping Elena's hairbrush tighter as she tried to get a lock on her best friends' whereabouts.

Seconds ticked by and then it happened. The air thickened around them and Bonnie's hair started to rise and twirl. Stefan stared, as always, in awe at a witch's power. Bonnie was getting stronger. It was there all around them as everything seemed to just get clogged down with her magic. Stefan's skin crawled and the candle flames all rose—flaring brightly and the crystal in the center of the table rose and spun as Bonnie chanted. She laid a piece of Elena's hair in the middle of the pentagram design and it was like the room was filled with power all of a sudden as Bonnie's body went rigid and her head tipped back almost violently. Stefan sprang forward worriedly, but then her head swung forward and she started chanting in a harsh, guttural language he didn't understand. He froze as the candles flamed so high, it was like mid-day in the room and Bonnie started to pant in deep, gasping breaths.

Her eyes snapped open and she sucked in several deep, heaving breaths. "Oh-oh-God!" she cried before she just dropped forward in an exhausted heap.

Only Stefan's vampire reflexes caught her before her head hit the table. He brushed back the newly wet tendrils of hair back from her forehead, his dark eyes agonized that he'd put her through this ordeal. "Bonnie—Bonnie—are you okay?" he whispered softly, cradling her almost tenderly.

She blinked open dark eyes and it took her a minute before everything she'd seen rushed back. She sucked in a sharp breath and her body jerked. Stefan's grip tightened, but she fought his hold and he loosened his grip. "Whoa…" she said softly, "that was—whoa!" It was then that Bonnie realized Stefan was still holding her and as unobtrusively as she could the dark eyed witch extricated herself from his embrace.

Stefan kneeled in front of her. "What did you see?" he asked, gripping the table so tightly the wood splintered a bit. He gasped and let go with an ashamed and mumbled apology.

Bonnie shook her head. "Don't worry," she said, showing him the candle wax and burn scars on the table. "What's a bit of broken wood?" she asked with a reassuring smile.

The harsh planes of Stefan's face relaxed. "So, what did you see?"

Bonnie had no intention of telling him what she'd seen. Her eyes were permanently scarred from the passion she'd witnessed between Damon and Elena—no need for Stefan to be burned too! In some regards Bonnie was stunned at Elena's actions, but in others she was not surprised. She'd felt the heat between Damon and Elena for a long time—it had only been a matter of time before they gave into the feelings. But Bonnie was shocked Elena hadn't made a clean break with Stefan first. Everything seemed to be off and Bonnie had no explanation for it.

"So..." Stefan said. "Did you see where she is?"

"Not really. I saw bright lights—like strobe lights on Broadway or..." She gave an exasperrated sigh. "Oh, I don't know--it was so bright--flashy like." She shook her head, rubbing her temples. "The image was hazy, but I saw a huge water fountain, a Pyramid and what I think was some kind of roller coaster," she said with a frown.

"Huh?" Stefan said, shaking his head. "What the hell does all that mean?"

Bonnie gave him a look. "I don't know, Stefan--I wish I did, but I swear the weirdest thing happened in the vision..." Stefan made an *mmmhmm* sound and Bonnie took a deep breath--she felt foolish, but she said, "Okay, I saw Elvis. Like seriously—Elvis in all his spandex and glitter!" She laughed and made a face. "Weird, right?"

Stefan suddenly sat up as all those attractions signaled one specific place to him. "Son of a bitch!" he snarled, his jaw tightening as his hands balled into tight fists. "Their in Vegas!" Anger radiated off him so forcefully that Bonnie scooted back and away from him. Stefan noticed her reaction and reigned in his temper. "I'm sorry, but that's just—that bastard—he took Elena to Vegas!"

"Why?" Bonnie asked, a puzzled frown marring her pretty features.

Stefan smirked, and Bonnie was stunned to see it was almost reminiscent of his brother. "Why else?" he asked with a sneer.

Her eyes bulged as her jaw dropped. "No—you can't—I mean they wouldn't…" Her voice trailed off as she suddenly remembered what else she'd seen—the hot sex between Damon and Elena. "Oh my God!" she gasped. "You're right—they're getting married!"

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**Palms Hotel:**

It seemed like they were never going to stop. "Just how far are we going up?" Elena asked as the elevator continued its sleek and silent upward momentum.

Damon leaned down to nuzzle her neck. "I got us a sky villa," he said softly, pressing a wet kiss into the flesh of her throat. "It's pretty high."

Elena melted against him. His lips did funny things to her insides. "A sky-what?"

"Villa. As in Penthouse." He shrugged. "I tried to get Hefner's suite, but it was already booked."

Elena gaped at him, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. "Hefner—as in Hugh Hefner?"

Damon chuckled at her expression and gently closed her mouth with his finger before he nodded. "As in Hugh—yeah," he said with a smirk. Elena still just stared at him wide eyed and just then the elevator dinged, but instead of opening up to a floor-it opened up into their suite. Damon put his hands over her eyes. "Ready?" he asked softly, his breath hot against her ear.

Elena shuddered and nodded. "Yes," she breathed, belly clenching with lust, anxiety and all kinds of emotions Damon inspired and she couldn't really put a name to.

He took his hands away and Elena took a step out of the elevator, letting out a small, surprised gasp as she took in the huge suite. It was massive, sporting a full living room, with a fireplace, a separate dining room, a kitchen and a full wet bar. "Damon…" she said softly, "this is too much."

"It's just money, Elena—something both me and Stefan have plenty of."

Elena noticed the dig upon Stefan—he'd never treated her to luxuries like this, but she didn't comment. This wasn't about him anyhow. This was about her and Damon and it was going to stay that way. "It's—wow—I can't believe this place," she said her eyes roaming the huge living room with it's black leather couches, pool table off to the side and a huge 60 inch flat screen TV.

He winked. "You haven't even seen the best parts yet," he said and led her into the bedroom. Elena gasped as she took note of the room. It was beautiful. Dark burgundy motif, set off with black and a rich royal blue. There was a sitting room off to the side with an old fashioned vanity, a couch and a walk in closet. The bedroom was larger than the entire top floor of her house and sitting smack dab in the middle of it was a massive circular bed that could very, very easily sleep ten people rather comfortably. She rolled her eyes when Damon pointed out the mirrored ceiling, blushing when he started suggesting all the positions he couldn't wait to get her in under that mirror.

"Stop!" she gasped, fanning herself as the descriptive images he was giving her nearly made her hyperventilate with renewed arousal.

He grabbed her hand again and like earlier, he was the kid in the candy store eager to show her all the treats. "Wait until you see this…" he enthused and led her into the bathroom.

Once inside, Elena's breath caught in her throat. It was like a bathing room fit for a King. The entire setting was black on gold on white. The carpet was a toe curling shag, all white and so plush your toes disappeared in it. The, his and hers, vanity took up one half of the room, but the mirror above the vanity was what first grabbed your attention. It took up the entire half of the bathroom. It was so large it gave the inhabitants of the tub a clear view of themselves. As if the mirror wasn't bad enough…when you spotted the tub you felt almost decadent. It was deep and so big a full grown man could almost swim laps in it. Elena swallowed as she could so easily see her and Damon in it—naked, all lathered up and—her thoughts ground to a halt and she bit her lip to stop the lurid images.

"Hot, isn't it?" Damon whispered right behind her. "_That_ is going to give us hours of pleasure—you realize that, right?" Elena could only nod mutely. She didn't trust her voice to be anything more than a moan or a squeak at this point. He chuckled and took a little nip out of her neck. "Check this out," Damon said softly as he turned her towards the shower.

Elena's mouth went dry as she spied the shower. It was black and white marble with shower heads on two sides of the shower. It could fit six—seven people easily, but what caught and held her attention was the fact that it had all glass doors and she suddenly noticed one of the glass walls looked right into the bedroom. Her eyes shot up to Damon's and he grinned.

"Yep," he said popping the 'P'. "The bedroom is allowed shower viewing privileges—God I love Vegas," he purred.

Elena's face turned a brilliant shade of bright red. "Oh-My-God," she said again.

Damon chuckled. "Yeah, I can't wait to see you in that," he teased and led her back into the living room. "Look at this," he said and pulled her by the hand to the far side of the apartment. Elena made a soft sound of pleasure. The entire wall was made of glass that opened up to an outer deck. Once outside, the deck sported a heated Jacuzzi pool that hovered over the Vegas strip. The entire deck was enclosed in glass walls and it gave you the sensation that it was just floating there. It made Elena's tummy tremble.

"You like?" Damon asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind as she stared out of the walls and down on Las Vegas.

Elena turned in his arms and looped her arms around his neck. "I—h" She was speechless. This place was so incredible; she'd never seen anything like it. The fact that Damon had obviously spent so much time and money on her made Elena's head swim. "I so much more than like—this is—Damon—it's amazing!" His eyes searched hers and she saw the eagerness to please her there. It melted her heart even more. "This is so beautiful," she whispered, bringing his head down to hers. "Thank you," she whispered, just before taking his lips in a kiss that curled both their toes.

A few minutes later, a panting Damon raised his head and grinned wolfishly at her. "While I love the pool baby—that bed in our room rotates—wanna try it?" he said with a grin that could only be called lewd and lascivious!

Elena's belly unfurled with liquid heat and a slow, lusty grin suffused her features. Damon was turning her into a sex addict! She licked her lips, enjoying his soft growl when she did that. Her eyes sparkled as she took his hand. "Definitely," she said and let him lead her back into the room to try out the revolving bed…

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**Okay guys…I know—cruel to leave it there, but I don't do rushed smut. Trying to squeeze a smut scene in would have been rushed. I'll probably start off with it next chappie, but I hope you liked this anyhow even if there was no "Jen" smut! :) I don't know…I kind-a liked the teasing sexual tension between D/E in this and I also wanted to get some plot going since y'all have asked me to lengthen this, then I need some plot, right? Right. So anyways—click the button and please let the musie know what ya think. I promise to get some replies to previous reviews out this week, but I'm also trying to get a new chappie done for "Fool For Love" so bear with me, okay?**

**Thanks again, you guys are really the best…**

**Jen**


	6. Chapter 6

_**The Auction **_

_**A fic by: Jen**_

_**Rating: M**_

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing—don't sue.**_

_**A/N: I want to say I am tremendously sorry for disappearing…but I was in a very serious car-accident a while back. I dislocated my left shoulder, broke my collar bone, my right ulna and shattered my left knee-cap. Had I not been wearing my seat belt—they said I would have went through the windshield. Needless to say, I am now a firm believer in NEVER driving without a seat belt! I am so sorry all of you had to wait and wonder at my whereabouts…I've disappeared before—briefly—due to RL and family drama, but never for so long…but now you know why, and I hope this chappie makes up for my absence a bit. I want to say thank you to all of you who sent me pms and mentioned how much you missed me in your reviews—even if some of you were a bit mad at me. It showed you love my fics, so thank you! I am working on getting the chappie of FFL done that I had started before my accident and hope to have it posted by next week. (this one was almost done-so I started on it first) Bear with me you guys—the Doc said to take it kind of slow and my typing is atrocious right now! lol! It's like 20 wpm! ;) **_

_**Anyhow, thanks again—love y all and thanks for all your concern…and now…I know it's long overdue—the next chappie of 'The Auction' I kind-a like this one…LOTS of D/E smutty-goodness…so enuff of my babble and on with the show…**_

**_**Oh and I want to dedicate this chappie to NikkiLeighVampireHeart...I was reading your 'Unbridled Temptations' today-just feeling down and mopey coz I still can't really type that fast...and then I read your little add-on at the end where you said you (missssed) me! :) :) :) THAT totally made my day, sweetie. It also got me off my *ass* and I got this chappie finished! Thank you sugar...you are so totally sweet and I will definitely be R&Ring your fic tonight. FYI- here's a heads up-Nikki's fic-'Unbridled Temptations' is awesome! It's clever, funny and filled with nummy D/E smutty-goodness! You guys should definitely go and check it out. :)_**

_**xoxo**_

_**Jen**_

**_** for a recap-you might want to read the last bit of chappie 5 because this takes off right where that one left off...**_**

**_Again *ducks head* sorry, but I think you guys will love this chappie..._**

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**Chappie 6**

**Palms Hotel:**

The place was magnificent—seriously, Elena thought, it was a freaking palace and she had a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact that Damon had went to all the trouble planning something so romantic, but had never told her he 'loved her'. Was it a conscious decision to keep her hanging? That grated on her a bit and it was that thought that made her hang back as he tugged her towards the bedroom.

"What?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her and noticing her expression and raising a curious brow at the cause of it.

Elena studied him. His gaze was as mischievous as ever, but there was something deeper now and if she hadn't been looking she might have missed it. His walls had lowered and while his usual jaded sarcasm was still evident, Elena could see the difference—there was something lingering in those brilliant blue eyes-something deeper than sheer lust. Elena's heart sped up until it was thundering in her chest. He hadn't said the words, but it was there—in every look—every touch...Isobel was right. Damon was in love with her. He hadn't actually admitted it, but she wanted—no—she needed to believe that instead of telling her, this was his elaborate way of showing her. It warmed her through and through.

"What's going on in that brain of yours, Elena?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.

Elena's face lightened. He'd tell her—when he was ready. Until then she would have faith that he loved her. "Nothing, Damon," she replied breezily. She pointed ahead. "Is that the bedroom?" He nodded and she gave him a wicked little smile. "Care to share it with me?" A low growl came from him as he grabbed her hand and practically dragged her behind him. Elena didn't mind. Her step was lighter, almost skipping as she allowed him to pull her into the lavish bedroom with the enormous revolving bed.

Damon led her around the obscenely large bed to a black lacquered table. They sat on the bed and he slid a panel back to reveal several controls. Elena rolled her eyes; he was like a kid in a candy store. She could see he wanted to play with ALL the buttons, but it was so Damon, she couldn't help the smile that curled her lips upward. He gave her an audacious wink as he fiddled with the first control. "So…" he purred, "what's it gonna be…" He studied the switches and buttons on the panel. "Hmmm…what's this?" he asked, hitting a glittery gold button that sent the bed spinning. Not even a second later, a shockingly bright white, pulsing strobe light blazed to life. It was like a thousand paparazzi had invaded the bedroom and the flashing bulbs momentarily blinded Elena. To make it all the more retro seventies, the Bee-Gees' 'Saturday Night Fever' suddenly blared out of the speakers built into the walls, giving Elena creepy images of long haired, hairy chested men in white spandex body suits.

She made a face, recoiling from the sound like it was poisonous. "Ugh! Oh God…gimme a break, Damon!" she groaned, putting her hands over her ears.

Damon laughed and adjusted the volume on the speakers until it was at a normal volume. "O—kay, so boogie-fever is out," he said, flipping the switch and ending the lights and music. "Let's see…" he said, his brows lowering as he studied the guide next to the remote. "Oh…here's a list…" he murmured. He studied it for a second before a slow grin pulled the corners of his sensual mouth upwards lazily. "Okay…how about this…?" he said with a smirk. He hit another button and a light fixture dropped from the ceiling. It was a multi colered concert type light that whirled and blazed across the walls and bed. Elena groaned as the room began to swirl with multi-colored lights and Motley Crue's 'Girls-Girls-Girls' came pouring out of the stereo. The huge flat screen TV in front of the bed suddenly came to life and half naked strippers swinging on poles filled Elena's vision.

She glared at the TV before rolling her eyes. Damon watched the sexy dancers for a second longer than Elena would have liked, but her muttered, "Seriously Damon?" got him to move.

"Fine," he said as he hit another button. The colored lights were pulled back into their hidey-hole and the strippers on the TV disappeared. The room was silent for a moment except for the soft whir of the revolving bed until all the lights in the room slowly dimmed to a soft romantic glow. The bed still spun, but slower now—almost lazily as Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get It On' began to play from the built in stereo system. Damon's brow raised and a lascivious smirk spread across his face. After a small eye roll, Elena felt an answering smile tug at her lips at his choice in music. 'Let's Get It On' had to be like the _number one_ sex song of all time. Leave it to Damon to find it on a stereo bed of all places!

This was a song she could deal with though and when Damon pulled her to him, she went willingly into his arms.

"Okay," he said, running his hands up her back, "now this is a selection you can't complain about…" She nodded her agreement and he lay back on the rotating bed, bringing her down with him so that she was sprawled across his chest. He made note of how sexy they looked together in the mirror above the bed while running his hands under her shirt, sinuously sliding his palms along her back, setting off tingles in his wake. "We really do make the hot couple—Brangelinas' got nothing on us, Elena," he informed her softly before taking possession of her mouth in a kiss that sent Elena's pulse racing and caused her toes to curl.

Elena was getting into the kiss, when all of a sudden it dawned on her that she was Damon's fiancée now! She drew back with a gasp and it felt like a thousand butterflies had been let loose in her belly—it was insane. _OMG!_ In just a few hours they were getting married! The thought literally made her feel like she was having an anxiety attack. Her pulse raced, setting off a ton of nervous twitches and convulsions she hadn't even known existed inside her. What if he regretted it? What if _she_ did? What would Stefan say? Oh God! What would her Aunt Jenna and Jeremy say? Elena's mind whirled with all the questions. This wasn't just dating the wrong guy for a week or so. Oh no—this was far more crazed because she wasn't just marrying the ultimate bad-boy—she was marrying Damon Salvatore; the vampire that had made Mystic Falls his personal snack-shack for several months! Elena pulled away sharply. What in the hell was she doing?

He noticed her sudden retreat and stopped kissing her abruptly. "What's wrong?" he asked without preamble.

Elena blanched. She shook her head, sending her dark hair flying. "I—what? I don't know what you're talking about," she hedged, trying to decide how best to describe what she was feeling.

Damon made a *tsking* sound and brushed the hair out of her face so that he could see her eyes clearly. "Elena, you've never backed down from telling me what you really think, are you really going to start now?"

Emboldened, Elena sighed as she tried to put her thoughts into words that made sense. "It's just…" she shrugged, "I'm nervous, I guess. This is all so…surreal. We're here in this amazing room and in just a few hours we'll be married."

Damon chuckled huskily, his look saying more than words that he understood her utter *freaked out-ness*. "Weird huh?"

A small smile graced Elena's full lips and she rolled her eyes a bit. "Weird is putting it mildly. I mean seriously, Damon if someone would have told me even yesterday I'd be heading to Vegas and getting married—"

"And to me…" he interjected with a sarcastic little smirk.

Elena gave him a look, but she had to admit he had a point. "Okay, yes…to you," she said with a sigh, "I'd have had them committed."

Damon shrugged, running his hand down the side of her face to her neck. He played with the tiny hairs at the nape there, enjoying the shudder that ran through her body at his touch. "So what? It's weird—we'll deal with the weirdness and anyone's reaction too," he said softly, but determinedly. Elena chewed her bottom lip and Damon continued to run his knuckles along the sensitive flesh of her neck. "_But," _he reminded her, emphasizing the first word, "you have to admit we're good together, Elena." He wriggled his brows at her and in his best imitation of Forest Gump, he teased, "just like peas and carrots."

The voice was so –un-Damon-like that Elena burst into laughter. Damon's smile broadened until it lit up his entire face. Elena's laughter faded. He was so sexy—breathtaking really—when he grinned like that it made her forget her reservations. "Yeah," she agreed, "we are…" while she was agreeing, she still looked hesitant.

Damon frowned. "What else is bothering you, Elena?" he questioned, rubbing her back soothingly. "And don't tell me it's nothing—you have something face, so just spit it out."

"It's just…" She took a deep breath and it rushed out in a jumbled mess. "Are-you-sure-you-want-this—because-being-with-me-is-going-to-change-your-lifestyle-and-the-last-thing-I-want-is-for-you-to-end-up-hating-me!" she finished, panting a bit and looking anywhere, but at his face.

He heaved a long sigh—seeing his hot quick sex-capade with Elena flying out the window. "Okay, I got the change your lifestyle part, but how did we jump to me hating you?"

"Because Damon," she practically whined, "I know you like living the vampire life. Feeding on humans and all that—"

"So?" he interrupted, "that's not going to change, Elena." He'd said that so firmly and with such conviction, her eyes bulged, but he went on before she could. "I'm not going on Stefan's 'Bambi' diet, babe—not even for you. I_ can_ and _will _promise not to kill anyone…" He snorted in a bit of disgust. "Which I haven't done in so long I've almost forgotten what it feels like, anyhow—so that's not a big deal. Plus, there are plenty of willing 'happy-meals' out there, Elena," he finished, smirking.

She huffed out a breath. "You're joking, right?" He blinked at her innocently. Elena growled and before he knew what she was going to do, she rolled them so that she was on top. Moving quicker than Damon thought possible for a human, she climbed on top of him, straddling his waist as she pinned him down on the bed by the shoulders while leaning down so that they were eye to eye, noses almost touching. There was a dangerous look in her dark eyes that was more than a tad intriguing—was she jealous? It was a tempting thought and Damon wanted to see what she'd do, so he let her pin him there as he waited for her next words. "I swear if you so much as put one fang in another woman I'll—"

'Cha-Ching—she _was _jealous!' Damon was stunned, but even more—he was amused and his abrupt fit of giggles cut off her rant. Elena's brows snapped down and she had to refrain from shaking him she was so furious. Her expression immediately caused him to stop laughing, but there was still a mirthful glint sparkling in those mercurial aquamarine eyes as he stared up at her, giving her his best 'innocent' expression. Several things were rushing through Damon's mind all at once. First and foremost; he'd never seen Elena like this and it was an immediate turn on. Second, was the realization that she was possessive and wanted him all to herself. Damon allowed the thought to surface for the first time that maybe she really _did_ love him. It was a more than intriguing-it was downright exciting! "You _do_ know feeding isn't always sexual, Elena…I could feed off a woman and not make it any more intimate than a hug…It doesn't have to be about sex, kitten..."

She shot him a look that could have fried him to a crisp and steam practically blew out her ears as she she snorted. "Yeah right! I've seen you're feeding parties Damon, they usually include a few girls-girls who want _more_ than just your fangs inside them!" she added bitterly.

Enjoying this game, Damon snickered. "_Ooohhh_…" he said, exaggerating the *oh* "you mean no more sorority girls, right?" he teased, totally digging the fire that burned inside her—he'd known it was there, all it needed was_ him_ to come along and bring it out in her—boring old 'Saint Stefan' could never make her this hot!

Elena met his gaze head on, daring him to keep ribbing her about this. "You know damn well that's what I mean," she snapped, poking him in the chest with a finger.

"So what am I supposed to eat?" he asked her, cocking his head to the side and blinking those brilliant blues at her.

Elena seemed to ponder that very seriously for a moment before answering. "Well, you _can_ feed off bagged blood, right?"

He nodded, "But that get's old real fast…sometimes you just need the taste of fresh, hot blood…" he whispered licking his lips seductively. "Nothing compares to it."

Again Elena's brows knitted together as she gave serious contemplation to what he was saying. Finally she seemed to reach an answer. "Fine," she said with a nod, "then you can drink from me when you feel that…um…urge," she finished softly, swallowing hard as she noticed the hungry look that crossed his features.

Damon's undead pulse had leaped at that. Was she really offering to let him feed off her regularly? "So," he said, "let me get this straight…you want me to feed only from you and bagged blood?" She nodded, watching him carefully. He shrugged. "I can deal with that," he agreed readily. "Now…" he said with a devious smirk, "where were we again?" He thrust his hips upward. "Oh yeah…right here," he purred roughly, grinding her against the bulge in his jeans.

Elena gasped as his arousal pressed against her center. "Damon!"

"Yes…?" he queried innocently, gazing at her with those amazing, heavy lidded blue eyes.

A smile tugged at her lips, but she tried to remain calm and focused despite his devastating appeal. "That look _so_ isn't going to work—I know what a devil you are, remember?"

He grinned. "And you love it," he said, bringing her head down to nibble at her lips. She raised her head and he saw the needy indecision on her expressive face. Damon tunneled his fingers through her thick chocolate locks. "Elena—I just agreed to your demands. No more women-no more killing," he said as if repeating the alphabet. "I think you can score this as a win in your column so let's just enjoy what we have and quit looking for trouble where there isn't any, okay?" He kissed her then…a soft, gentle kiss.

Elena gave a sigh of defeat and kissed him back. There was no use in pounding her point home—surprisingly he'd agreed and besides she didn't want to argue anymore. Not when there were so many other, much more pleasant things she could be doing with her future hubby.

When the kiss ended, she raised her head to stare down into his handsome face. "For the record—"

"Elena," he growled, dragging her head back down to his and kissing her senselessly quiet. When she'd melted into him, he raised his head and nipped at her full bottom lip. "For the record—it's best to quit when you're ahead," he told her before kissing her again. This time Elena stayed quiet.

After several long, deep, wet kisses he pulled back and smirked, "Now that we've gotten the 'pre-nup' out of the way—how bout we listen to Marvin here and 'Get it On'" he crooned, rolling them over until he was on top.

Elena giggled at the 'Pre-Nuptial' thing, but she was much more interested in following his advice and getting it on with her incredibly hot vampire fiancée.

**Outskirts of Las-Vegas:**

"Can't you drive any faster?" Stefan asked, shooting Bonnie a quick look before he dialed the next number from the list of Vegas Hotels he'd gotten off the Internet.

"I'm doing seventy—I'm not going any faster than that," Bonnie snapped back. "Look, I used magic to get us here way quicker than we would have if we'd driven, so can you just stop freaking out on me?"

"I know and I'm grateful," he said quietly, in that self sacrificing way he had. Bonnie felt immediately guilty for yelling at him. Stefan sighed. "I'm sorry for acting like this, and I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't gotten us here as quick as you did." He gave her a small smile. "How did you do that anyways? One minute we were in your house and the next…we were in the Vegas Airport!" He shook his head and reminded himself to never—ever get on Bonnie's bad side.

She shrugged. "I honed in on Elena's emotions—apparently there was a large residual of feeling there. Why—? I'm not sure, but that where we ended up." She grinned. "Hey, just be glad we didn't end up floating somewhere in the nether-world."

Stefan shuddered. "Was that really a possibility?"

Bonnie shrugged. "I'm not sure. I'm still getting used to all this new power I have…" She turned to Stefan. "You have to remain calm though, Stefan. Remember getting all growly isn't going to help get Elena back."

"But she's about to marry my brother! My brother—the psychopath who kills people, Bonnie! How am I _not _supposed to freak out about that?" Stefan groaned, clenching his fists so tight the knuckles were white.

Bonnie sighed. He had a definite point there and she understood his worry, but she couldn't help but remember her vision—Elena hadn't looked forced or abused. No. If anything...she looked…happy, Damon too, as a matter of fact, and no matter how hard she tried, Bonnie couldn't get that image of the lovers out of her head as she drove Stefan into the 'City of Sin'. Was she doing the right thing bringing him here? Did Elena really want to be found? While Bonnie went over her own turbulent feelings concerning Damon and Elena, Stefan spoke with the front desk of the Luxor. After a few cursory questions he hung up with a growl.

"They're not there," he muttered, looking at his list for the next hotel.

As he dialed, Bonnie surreptitiously turned to look at him. Stefan_ was_ handsome—maybe not in the sinfully decadent way his brother was, but he still wasn't hard on the eyes. Where Stefan was a bit more rugged—Damon was almost pretty in his beauty. The older Salvatore had the kind of looks that stopped a woman dead in her tracks. Bonnie herself had a similar reaction the first time she'd met Damon. That was until she touched him and felt his darkness. There was something sinister inside him, she knew without a doubt he was capable of terrible things, but with Elena—he seemed different. Still wild, but somehow tamed just a bit. She mellowed his inner turmoil, where Bonnie had the distinct feeling Elena elevated Stefan's. Stefan was steadfast and dependable—safe. Damon was the tempest that blew uncontrollably wild. Bonnie thought of the Elena she knew (before) the girl's parents had died and she had to admit, Elena had been a bit of a wild child too—maybe Damon was better suited for her than any of them were realizing.

Stefan's voice interrupted her thoughts. "They're at the Palms!" Bonnie's gaze flew to his face. He'd made the place sound like the 'Tower of London'! She noticed his face was a hard mask of anger, but sadness and confusion were apparent too.

"Okay, so they're at the Palms—that's good news right? Now we know where they are," she said.

Stefan looked like he wanted to throw up or hit someone. The muscles in his jaw ticked as he gritted out, "He booked them a fucking Sky Villa! It's like a honey-moon suite Bonnie!" He ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up further. "He's screwing my girlfriend, probably as we speak and there's nothing I can do about it!"

Bonnie gave him another sideways glance. He looked miserable sitting there with his arms folded across his chest. The deep scowl brought his normally low-browed countenance to a near depressing level of broodiness and Bonnie gave a long sigh as she debated telling him the truth of what she really saw in her vision. He was so torn up about what he thought was happening—yet she knew—_knew_—it had already happened. Should she tell him? She just wasn't sure. "Stefan, are you sure you want to do this—maybe she doesn't want us to find her," she finally said, trying to let him make up his own mind.

Stefan sighed long and hard before answering. "I know Damon can be charming when he wants to be. "He snorted softly. "Believe me I've seen more than a few woman fall for those big blue eyes of his." He made a sound of disgust. "Then he uses them and tosses them aside like they're garbage." He turned in the seat and his forest green eyes were so dark—sad that Bonnie had to look away. "I just can't let Elena throw her life away without at least telling her I forgive her and want her back," he finished in a mere whisper.

Bonnie sighed. Her heart actually ached for him and (not for the first time) she mentally raged at Elena for her rash decision to run off with Damon. "Just understand she may not want us to find her, okay?" she reminded him.

He laughed without any humor at all. "Believe me—after what I saw at the beach…" He shook his head, jaw muscles working overtime. "I think I'm pretty sure what I'm going to find there, but I still have to go," he said. "I can't just give up on her." He turned to Bonnie. "Can you?"

"No," she said with a small shake of her head. After a second she saw the exit for the infamous 'Vegas Strip' one exit ahead. She heaved a great sigh—she didn't need a crystal ball to know this was going to end with someone getting their heartbroken. "Okay," she said, as she got off the freeway, "Tell me where we're going then…"

**Mid-Air somewhere above Colorado…**

Katherine Pierce was not happy. The benefactor who'd they'd hitched a ride with had proven to be an enormous bore and it hadn't taken no more than an hour in the air with him before Katherine had him pinned on the floor of the lavish jet, draining him dry.

Now, satisfied and full, yet angry at the same time, Katherine she sat in one of the plush leather seats, swinging her foot, nudging at his dead body with the toe of her shoe. "Why are humans always so…annoying?" she asked.

Isobel didn't answer that, instead she asked a more pressing question as far as she was concerned. "Great, so what are we going to do now?" Isobel asked, staring down at the wide eyed, glassy stare of the man Katherine had just murdered.

Katherine's dark eyed glaze flew to hers and she crossed her arms. "Well, it's his own fault," she spat, waving a hand at the dead man. "If he'd have just _shut up_, like I told him to over and over again, I wouldn't have eaten him!" she said with a dramatic eye roll as she flounced back into her seat. "Humans—thank God I'm _not_ one anymore!"

"So…what are we going to tell the pilots and his staff? How are we going to explain—this," Isobel asked, refusing to drop it. She clutched the crème leather hand rests of the seat as she glanced at the man's body again, then down the aisle to the cockpit. Blood still dribbled down his neck and his mouth was open, his face frozen in an eternal scream of terror. "It's not like we can just bury him—we're thirty thousand feet in the air!" she reminded Katherine, waving a hand at the body.

Katherine made a *pfft* sound. "Please," she retorted, "I'll just compel the pilot to forget we were even here," she said, rolling her eyes. "What bothers me is this will definitely delay us at the airport because now we'll have to find another limo to take us to look for Damon!" Katherine groused with a petulant scowl.

Isobel's eyes widened. "That's all your worried about—finding Damon?"

"Izzy, surely you're not this stupid," Katherine snapped turning to her, "Of course this is about Damon! Or was there another reason we're taking this little trip?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Isobel looked away from Katherine's penetrating gaze. The older vampiress made her want to squirm when she leveled those ruthless brown orbs on her. "No, Katherine," Isobel mumbled, looking at her feet, wishing she had the strength to tell Katherine what she really thought about this whole plan…

Katherine smiled cruelly. "You're a terrible liar, Isobel, but I'll forgive you because you are going to help me stop this wedding—aren't you?" she asked with a raised brow.

At that Isobel nodded easily. "Yes," she said firmly. The last thing she wanted was for her daughter to be married to Katherine's ex-boy-toy. While Isobel had to admit Damon was incredibly attractive—she was intimately aware of just how sexy he could be—she firmly believed he was more than Elena could handle. If only she really knew Elena and how strong willed she was—but she didn't, so she naturally assumed Damon's will would overpower her daughters' and that he would eventually turn her. _That_ was simply something Isobel couldn't allow. She'd made the wrong choice once—funny how Damon was a factor in that choice for her too—but, she'd sought him out. Elena hadn't, but it was plain Elena was far from immune to Damon's charms. Elena couldn't be allowed to follow in her footsteps. Isobel was bound and determined that would never—ever happen even if that meant standing up to Katherine when the time came…

While Isobel was plotting to get Elena away from Damon, Elena was in his arms, lost in a haze of pleasure that could only be called bliss. If Isobel could see her at that moment, maybe she wouldn't be so hell bent on breaking Elena and Damon up.

"Damon!" she gasped as he cupped her breasts and trailed wet kisses up her neck, moving inside her with the lazy grace that made Elena's head spin.

"You taste—feel so damned good," he groaned, nibbling at her ear, while one of his hands trailed up her thigh, gripped it and tugged it higher on his hip so he could drive himself inside her even deeper. "Elena, I—" He bit his lip to hold back the words, but her eyes snapped to his and she knew.

Her pulse rioted. She wrapped her arms and legs tighter around his driving hips, never wanting to let him go. "I love you too, Damon…" she whispered, tunneling her fingers in his silky dark hair and bringing his lips back to hers.

She sealed her declaration with a kiss so sweet, Damon swore he'd died and made it to heaven after-all! And while he never bothered to mention he didn't actually say the words—the fact that she'd said them made him feel euphoric and with renewed vigor he spun her around so that she was on all fours in front of him. He blanketed her back, nipping at her shoulder briefly before placing fiery kisses up her neck. "That's the sexiest thing you've ever said to me, kitten—now I'm going to reward you," he purred into her ear from behind. He slid the head of his cock along the slit of her nether lips, using her own lubrication from her earlier orgasms to lubricate himself again. "Mine," he growled and plunged forward, filling her in one deep thrust. He braced a hand on her shoulder, pressing her against the mattress as he set a wild, untamed rhythm, pumping into her with deep, powerful strokes. Elena's head fell back, a loud keening cry of ecstasy bursting from her lips as he pounded into her 'doggy-style'.

"You make me crazy," he panted harshly against her neck as he fucked them both into oblivion. "I can't get enough of you…" he continued, telling her how much he desired and lusted after her as he wrapped his other hand into her hair and pulled playfully, causing her to arch back, pressing her curvy rear end up towards his driving hips for deeper penetration. She was exquisite and he told her so—over and over with words and actions.

Elena came first and when she cried out, shuddering and rippling around his cock, Damon threw his head back and let go. His hips thrust erratically, losing his normal grace as he sought his release. It was quick in coming and with a shout of her name, Damon spurted jets of his hot cream deeply into her womb.

It wasn't until much later as they lay naked and panting on the still spinning bed, staring up into their flushed and well sated faces in the mirror above the bed that Damon finally admitted he loved her, but it was said so quietly that Elena thought she'd heard him wrong.

She rolled over and leaned up onto her elbow so that was looking down at him. "Say that again…"

He gave her a dramatic roll of his eyes. "You heard me, Elena."

"No, you kinda muttered it. Say it again," she demanded, tucking a tangled lock of hair behind her ears.

He sighed, grabbed her hand and brought it to her lips. "I said…I love you." He placed her hand on his chest, where his undead heart lay quiet and still. "My heart doesn't beat, Elena, but I swear—for you it does…"

He'd said that so cheekily, Elena rolled her eyes and muttered an "oh brother…" Leave it to Damon to make a declaration of love cheesy and comical, but it still stood. He'd said the words and hearing them from his lips made Elena's own heart soar with happiness.

He winked. "Now that you've gotten that out of me, will you go downstairs and marry me, Miss Gilbert?" he asked teasingly, blue eyes sparkling like gemstones.

She cupped his face lovingly. "Yes, Mr. Salvatore, I will—gotta make an honest man out of you after all!"

He snorted as he leaped from the bed with the grace of a leopard. "Good luck with that," he said with a wink before he padded naked to the massive bathroom calling over his shoulder for her to join him in the shower.

Elena sighed. Yeah, good luck alright, but he was worth the effort. Suddenly she remembered she could see inside the shower from the bed. It was such a naughty thing to do—voyeurism at its finest, but still… Unable to resist, she turned and like a window shopper at Christmas time, Elena pressed her face closer to the glass waiting with bated breath for him to get in. She didn't have long to wait. Within seconds, Damon stepped naked into the shower and she felt her breath catch as she ogled his nude body. God, he really was fabulous looking. He adjusted the taps, turning so that his semi-hard shaft was right there for her to see. Elena's breathing became ragged as water sluiced down his chest and belly to dampen the wiry hair at his groin, making his cock stand out even more prominently than usual. A dull ache began to pulse between her thighs as she watched (spied) on him. He moved so sinuously under the water, his stomach muscles rippling as he tipped his head back to wet his hair under the pulsing shower head. He gave a soft moan as he ran his hands through his hair and with a gasp Elena realized she could hear him too.

"Damon…" she whispered softly, unable to tear her eyes away from the magnificent specimen before her. The look on his features was one of quiet bliss and her belly clenched with the seemingly endless desire he stirred in her. He stepped out from under the shower spray and grabbed the soap, turning his back to the glass as he began lathering his chest, shoulders and arms. Elena swallowed. It was like he'd forgotten she could 'peep' on him since he was giving her such a spectacular view of his naked backside as he bathed. Elena barely breathed as she watched the soapy water slide down the sleek muscles of his back, along the sexy little dip at the base of his spine before gliding wetly down the well shaped globes of his muscled bum and firm thighs. "Oh-my-God…" she said breathlessly.

Suddenly he turned and looked directly into her eyes. A knowing smirk graced his features. "Wanna join me—or just spy on me?" he asked, sliding his hands down his chest to his groin. He stopped at his treasure trail and idly ran a finger up and down that sexy little line of hair.

Elena's face flared red at being caught spying, but who could blame her was her excuse. "In a minute," she said with a naughty smile and a twirl of her finger, indicating he should do a little turn for her. "I'm window shopping," she teased. "Let me see _all_ the merchandise before I commit to buying!"

He rolled his eyes and said she'd already tried out the merchandise, but Damon wasn't shy. And if she wanted a show—well he'd give her one. He was hot—he knew it and so he decided to play along with her game. His eyes glittered as he soaped up his body even more. He made slow work of washing his muscled chest and six-pack abs before sliding down his lean belly to grip his cock. He stroked it for her, getting it semi-hard before shimmying his hips and slowly gyrating his body in a circle so she could see every inch of his leanly muscled form.

Elena fanned her face. Wow! He must have been a stripper at some time in the last one hundred and fifty years…

When he paused in front of her again—his penis was rigid and a scandalously cheeky grin adorned his handsome face as he waved the engorged organ at her. "Okay, you got your show—now could you get your ass in here and take care of _this _for me?" he asked, stroking his cock again.

She made a face. Elena should have probably been offended, but he looked good enough to eat and since he'd complied with her demand for a little show, she figured she could take care of his (not so little) problem too. After all, turnabout was fair-play. With a bounce to her step she sashayed into the bathroom, eager for yet another round with her delectable vampire.

Damon turned when she opened the door. His wet hair was slicked back from his face, drawing attention to his utterly perfect features. Elena stared and he flashed a devilish smile and pulled her in with him. "Finally," he drawled, yanking her flush against his hard soapy body. Within seconds she was as wet and slippery as he was and her vampire wasted no time at all in pressing her up against the glass, kissing and fondling her body as he thrust himself deeply up into her. This time their coupling was fast and furious—something about shower sex just made for a pounding rhythm and Damon felt the heat build quickly as he plundered Elena's wet channel.

For Elena it was one of the most erotic things she'd ever experienced in her young life. He was by far the most magnetic creature she'd ever met and she truly couldn't seem to get her fill of him. "Harder Damon!" she panted, digging her nails into his shoulders as he plunged into her over and over. "Oh God-I'm coming-I'm coming!" she cried, raking his back with her little claws as she climaxed around his cock.

Damon waited for her to come down before giving her more. He pulled out of her and spun her so that her breasts were pressed flat against the glass. His hands spread her legs further—like he was about to frisk her—the position gave him ample access to her charms from behind. Slowly, drawing out her torture, Damon slid his finger along her folds. She was still sensitive and Elena whimpered, thrusting her hips into his touch, wanting him inside her again. He *tsked* her and lectured her about patience as he slid one long digit up inside her. She was so hot, tight and wet—dripping really and Damon made an *mmmm* sound as he stroked her, petting her G-spot before he pulled his finger out and brought it up to his mouth for a taste. He gave a distinctly guttural purr at her taste. "You taste like heaven…" he growled before he hooked his elbows under her knees and lifted her. Elena gasped; soapy hands sliding against the glass as he lifted her to a penetrable level. He pressed her forward, sliding his cock along her folds as he mashed her body between his hard frame and the clear hard surface of the shower. "I could fuck you forever, Elena, and never tire of you," he panted against her neck before he entered her again, setting a forceful rhythm that within minutes had them screaming each others' names as they exploded into the vortex of bliss that only lovers share…_though_ after a few more body washes…it was still almost another hour before the couple actually made it out of the shower to begin getting ready for their 'special-night'.

**Okay everyone…hope that was at least a little satisfying. Again, I am so very sorry for the long wait. I promise to get another chappie of this up ASAP…I really want to get a chappie of 'Fool for Love' up and posted and I simply **_**have**_** to get the chappie of my Buffy/Booth fic—'Still His Girl' posted. I still need to re-write a few parts of the chappie, but it's very close to posting and I really NEED to get that up, so please understand. People have been waiting a LONG time for it, but I promise this one will NOT be neglected again. I want to tell you all thank you againj. You all are the best, now if you wouldn't mind, please click that little blue button and tell musie how much you're happy to have her back—believe me—she was a pest when I couldn't write! ALL these stories just meshing around in my head—ideas just flying wildly with no where to go! It was awful, so I am SO, SO happy to be expressing musie's creative drive again! Believe me! :) :) :)**

**Thanks again,**

**Jenna :) :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Auction**

**A fic by: Jen**

**Rating M**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing-please don't sue me-I'm injured!**

**Sorry but this is a rather extensive A/N:**

******Okay, first and foremost I am so, so sorry I haven't posted on this in so long…BUT musie just went on strike, especially after watching the last few epis of TVD. The Stefan-love-fest has been disheartening at best-disgusting at worst! Did anyone but me gag and want to puke when Katherine told Damon "Its Stefan-It's always been Stefan." I have to ask the writers and producers this question—if you wanted a Stefan to be the 'hot' brother—why pick Ian Somerhalder to play Damon? They should have chosen someone else because (on a bad day) Ian BLOWS Paul out of the water in the hottines dept. Hell, Ian even beat out Rob-Pat, Alexander Skarsgard **AND** David Boreanaz as the sexiest beast ever in Entertainment Weekly._** And**_ let me add—every single one of those actors whipped Paul Wesley's ass in the voting…

I swear it would have been so much hotter had Katherine chose Damon…at least the fans (us) could have gotten our Nina/Ian fix with some very hot Katherine/Damon scenes. But NO-they made Damon a wimp when he (begged) Katherine to tell him the truth—tell him she loved him. *ugh* Hated that. It was so pathetic and desperate…

BUT, much to my dismay, the writers weren't done with the 'Damon-looking-like-a-needy-ass-phase' No—they just had to add to the Stefan-reverence by having Katherine spurn Damon and then threaten Stefan to ditch Elena because she couldn't _stand _to see him with anyone else! *yuck* I swear I felt physically ill. (WTF-does anyone have eyes on this show?) AND THEN to top it off and add the ultimate grr factor—Elena gave Damon the same "it's always Stefan…" speech.

Sorry, I know I'm on a tangent, but it bugs me because all that adoring-Stefan-crap really killed musie's inspiration for Vampire Diaries. Seriously, I was so was so sick of all the Stefan-adulation, I was no longer eagerly looking forward to new epis anymore. I was cringing-wondering what new Stefan-loving-torment they were going to force on me now!

Okay-I'll quit now. Whew. I'm sorry for the rant, and the massive A/N, but I needed to purge all that venom, so I can move onto cathartic healing… :) :) :)

Alright guys, enough of my blathering—Musie has FINALLY found her spark again and I need some serious D/E action to soothe the *yuck* that has been season 2 so far. So on with the show...

xoxo

Jen

**Chappie 7**

**Inside a limo-Las Vegas Blvd:**

Elena fidgeted, her body seemed to be alive with the itchy-scratchies and the butterflies in her stomach were in a feeding frenzy. She and Damon were in a limo heading down Las Vegas Blvd. to the 'Little White Wedding Chapel'. The chapel had sent a courtesy limo for them along with champagne. It was a beautiful white stretch. Everything was perfect except Elena felt like she was going to pass out-or have a breakdown—she wasn't sure which. She felt like she'd taken a nose-dive from an airplane—without a parachute.

Twisting the beautiful engagement ring Damon had surprised her with; Elena tried to calm herself with deep, even breaths as she looked out the window. She studiously avoided Damon's far too perceptive gaze, knowing he'd see the panic in her eyes. _'Oh God-what am I doing?'_ she thought, knowing she should be excited, but now that the time was upon them, Elena was a nervous wreck.

To calm her nerves she started on the champagne. Glass after glass—she didn't bother to offer Damon any—she needed it more than he did—she polished off half a bottle. "This is really good…" she murmured, completely ignoring him as she downed the bubbly liquid.

Damon didn't like the amount of alcohol she was consuming. With a growl, he snatched the bottle out of her hand. She made a move to grab it back, but he held it out of her reach. "We can cancel this whole thing if you want," he said. One brow rose as he studied her, "If you have to get wasted, Elena—I'd rather just call it off."

That caught her by surprise and the hand holding the flute of champagne froze mid-air. "What are you saying?" she asked softly.

He shrugged. "I'm not saying anything—I think you are."

Elena set the champagne down. She was buzzed and it lowered her inhibitions. "Are you saying you don't want to marry me anymore?" she asked, lower lip jutting out in a pout that made Damon want to nibble on it.

He shook his head, restraining himself. "I'm not the one getting shit-faced in order to go through with this."

Elena took Damon's hand in hers. Her eyes willed him to understand. "It's not that. It's just…I'm nervous." She shrugged. "Cold feet—pre-wedding jitters—whatever it's just I feel like my tummy is about to explode and I'm all tingly with anxiety."

He pulled her closer and kissed her gently. "I'm nervous too, Elena," he told her. "This isn't something I ever thought about doing." He made a face. "I mean really—do you think I ever planned on getting married, much less to you?"

Elena's brows drew down sharply and Damon headed her off before she even started getting pissed. "No, don't even go there…" he said, seeing where her mind was going. "I want you. I always have, but you're the one downing glass after glass of champagne. If that's what you need to go through with this, maybe we shouldn't do it."

Panic set in and Elena hastened to reply. "No, I want to, Damon. I'm just nervous. I'll be okay once we're there."

He studied her for several seconds before a slow, sensual smile curled his lips upward. He grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap. Elena squealed, but stayed put, wrapping her arms around his neck. Damon nuzzled her chin, before nipping at her pouty lower lip like he'd wanted to earlier. She moaned softly and his smile widened. "I'm glad you decided that because I'm feeling pretty possessive, and kidnapping wasn't on my agenda for the day," he teased, cupping her face and laying a kiss on her that curled her toes and set her pulse to racing—it was obvious to both of them, kidnapping was totally unnecesarry.

Just as they started to tug at each others' clothes, their play was interrupted as they pulled into the drive way of a quaint old-fashioned chapel. Damon yanked his head back and immediately righted Elena's dress. Elena took several deep breaths to soothe her racing heart. She pulled down the backseat mirror and made sure her hair and make-up didn't look as wild and unkempt as she felt.

Damon chuckled as he lifted her off his lap and seated her next to him on the plush leather seat. "You look gorgeous," he said, adjusting his pants as he tried to disguise the hard-on he was sporting.

Elena took note of the building where her life was about to change drastically. It was cute. Old fashioned. It looked like it was built around the turn of the century. Quaint and tasteful, it wasn't anything like what she'd been expecting from a hurried Vegas wedding.

Her smile was literally radiant—so much so that Damon sucked in an un-needed breath and his chest tightened. "It's beautiful, Damon…" she breathed.

He rubbed the place where his heart should beat. It didn't, but he felt a tug—something there right now and it was a bit disconcerting. He brushed away the feeling and smirked. "What did you expect—flashing lights and slot machines?"

"You _did_ mention Elvis…" she reminded.

Damon laughed wholeheartedly—his chest tingled again and he put it down to nerves. "That, my love, was a joke. I definitely have more tact than that."

The driver opened the door for them and Damon climbed out. He turned and offered his hand to Elena. She took a deep calming breath. Her heart pounded and lodged somewhere in her throat. This was it—the now or never moment. Elena's tummy flip-flopped. She looked at Damon waiting there. He was gorgeous. Sexy and definitely someone she could turn to in a crisis. He loved her. Of that she was positive. Elena was even certain he loved her more passionately than Stefan ever could. He gave everything he had when he was in love. Stefan gave what was needed. When she hesitated, his face clouded and he suddenly looked nervous…vulnerable. He wouldn't push—not now. He wanted her to choose him freely. And just like that; Elena knew it was right.

"I love you," she said as she gave Damon her hand and allowed him to pull her from the car. His face lit up. His smile turned his handsome face into a thing of true beauty and Elena answered with a brilliant smile of her own.

"Are you sure?" he asked, giving her an opportunity to bow out gracefully.

Elena had no intention of changing her mind. "Yes," she whispered, dark eyes sparkling with the excitement that every bride feels on their wedding day. "I've never been surer."

His eyes flared with lust. "Mine," he rumbled.

Elena gave a small eye roll. "Calm down, cave man," she quipped, looping her arm through his.

Damon tucked her arm close to his as they walked into the chapel. "Caveman?" He chuckled huskily. "You may have a point," he conceded, "considering I feel pretty much primeval where you're concerned."

"Just don't conk me over the head and drag me away to your cave. Or...if you do…" She paused, an impish, wicked grin suffusing her face. "Give me the chance to return the favor…"

He threw his head back and laughed delightedly. "Elena!" he teased, sounding scandalized. "That sounds rather kinky…" He paused at the door to the chapel and snaked an arm around her waist. He wagged his brows at her. "I never knew you had it in you…" He leaned down, nibbling at her lips. "I like it…' he purred huskily. "Let's explore this...um…more uninhibited side tonight-hmmm?"

Elena grinned. "Absolutely, just as long as I get to tie you up too!"

Damon laughed wholeheartedly. Why am I suddenly thinking that marriage to you is going to be a little wilder than I originally thought?"

The minister and his wife spotted them and waved them over. Elena flashed them a sweet smile and waved back. She leaned up and nipped the fleshy part of his ear lobe, reveling in the sharp indrawn breath he gave. Her voice was breathy as she murmured in his ear, "Guess you'll have to wait and find that out, huh?" she teased waltzing away from him.

She made her way down the aisle to the minister, leaving Damon standing there with his mouth open and an erection he was hard pressed to hide…

******************D/E**xx**D/E**xx**D/E**xx**D/E**xx**D/E**xx**D/E**xx**D/E**xx******************

The Palms:

Stefan and Bonnie arrived at the hotel a few minutes after Damon and Elena left. First thing they did was head over to the front desk.

The man standing there in a crisp white shirt and navy vest smiled at them. "Hello and welcome to the Palms. How may I help you?" His smile was friendly, but his nose was raised, saying loud and clear how important he felt he was to the hotel.

Stefan asked him to ring the Sky Villa and the man's waxed brows arched to his receding hairline. "Are you looking for Mr. Salvatore?" Stefan nodded and the man gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry sir, but you just missed him and his fiancé." He started typing on his computer before looking up at Stefan, "Thye're not expected back for several hours...would you like to leave a message?"

Stefan clenched his fists. He wanted to curse and break something, especially hearing Elena—his Elena—addressed as Damon's fiancé. He pushed that aside and smiled at the man disarmingly. "Can you tell me where they went?"

The man gave them a negative shake of his head and his sympathetic smile slid away as if it never existed. "Oh no, again, I'm sorry, but I can't give out that information."

Stefan gripped the counter hard enough to almost crack the wood. He leaned closer to the man, trying to be threatening without actually saying anything threatening. "Why not?" he growled, jaw clenching tightly.

At Stefan's tone the man's beak of a nose rose another inch and he glanced towards the security officer with an exaggerated movement before turning back to Stefan determinedly. "There's no need for a scene, sir. Trust me, it will only result in you and your friend," the man's eyes swung to Bonnie for a second. He gave Stefan another fake sympathetic smile. "No matter how you ask, I simply can't give you what you want. Here at the Palms, we have a strict discretion policy and we do not release personal information on our guests—ever!" he announced in a clipped voice.

Stefan glanced at Bonnie. She turned away dejectedly, but he wasn't going to give up that easily, so he did something he hadn't done in ages. He compelled the man for personal gain. His eyes dilated, "You're going to tell me exactly where Damon Salvatore and his fiancé went. You'll give me their room number and you'll never remember doing so. Are we clear?"

The man repeated Stefan's words back to him. "Yes we're clear," he said before typing in some information on his computer. "Mr. Salvatore and his fiancé left to get married. The limousine that picked them up was courtesy of the Little White Wedding Chapel, so I would say that is where he is. They're registered in a private sky villa—here is the key card. The code to get on the floor is 2001."

Stefan took the card and memorized the code. "Where is this chapel?"

The compelled man gave Stefan directions before suddenly snapping out of it. With no memory of having given out anything, the man looked down his nose at Stefan. "Now, you may either leave a message for Mr. Salvatore or wait for him here in the lobby. It is your choice, but I simply cannot give you the information you want."

"Thanks…for nothing," Stefan muttered, smiling when he turned away. He found Bonnie and together they left the hotel.

As Stefan walked away, Katherine stepped from behind a large potted palm tree she'd ducked behind when she spied her ex-lover at the front desk. She'd hidden and listened in, getting angrier the more she listened. She was too late. She wanted to stomp her foot. It was rare that Katherine didn't get her way. Figures Damon would make it difficult he always was a wild thing. She watched Stefan go, her dark eyes softening for an instant before she turned away. She cared for him—but it was Damon she wanted to keep. "Isobel," she called, glaring when her 'protégé' took too long to materialize. Katherine pursed her lips in disapproval. "Izzy, at least make an attempt to appear helpful. If not, I might find you and John a hindrance and you know what I do to anything that slows me down, right?" She smiled, but her eyes were cold and dard.

Isobel nodded, scared. "I'm sorry, Kat. John called and said he was at the Las Vegas airport and would be here shortly."

Katherine nodded. "Well, since it appears we didn't get here in time to stop this ridiculous union, we're moving onto plan B," she said with a determined tilt to her chin.

"Plan B?" Isobel asked, her brows drawn down in confusion. "I wasn't aware we had a plan B."

Katherine giggled and waved a hand breezily. "Oh, I always have a plan B-and C and…well, you get the picture." She said. Katherine pursed her lips in a pout that had brought many a man to his knees. "Call John and tell him to come to the Palms. Have him call when he is in the lobby." Before Isobel even replied Katherine was waltzing over to the front desk, knowing full well the man would think she was Elena. She fluttered her lashes as she leaned against the edge of the front desk, smiling charmingly at the man. "Can I get the key…I'm in a hurry. Damon is waiting for me at the chapel."

The man flushed. Katherine didn't need to compel him, he was only too eager to comply. He immediately got her a key card. "Here you are, Miss, congratulations on your wedding," he gushed overdramatically.

"Thank you," Katherine replied giving him a sweet smile that hid the fact that she wanted to rip his throat out right then. With another thanks, she left the beaming hotel worker and made her way to the bank of elevators, pressing the button on the one marked 'private suites only'.

"What exactly are you planning, Kat?" Isobel asked.

Katherine's lip curled in a sultry smirk. "Oh…just a little extra for Damon's honeymoon," she purred. The elevator dinged open and Katherine sauntered inside. She slid the key card into the slot under the buttons on the elevator and entered the code she'd overheard. The elevator immediately began to move. Katherine smiled to herself. "All I need is to get Damon alone," she said aloud. "I can make him remember what we shared and then I can get the location of the device from him and…" She glanced at Isobel. "All you have to do is keep that daughter of yours busy for an hour or so." The elevator stopped with a ding.. Katherine smiled cunningly. "Think you can do that, Izzy?"

Isobel nodded slowly as the doors slid open. "I can get Elena to come with me," she said.

In that moment Katherine and Isobel got their first view of the incredible room Damon had reserved for him and Elena. Katherine whistled as she stepped into the suite. "Not bad…" She sauntered to the glass wall overlooking the pool and the city. "He always did have taste." The scent of sex drew her to the bedroom. The round bed and the tangled covers told her all she needed to know. Katherine hissed and immediately turned her back on the room. She marched out to the living room. "Get John on the phone now…I want him here. He has a choice-he can either take his daughter back to Mystic falls alive and angry—or dead. I really don't care, but she will not be with Damon again after tonight, are we clear?" she snapped storming across the room and pouring herself a large drought of whiskey—she glared at Isobel once more before slamming it back and pouring another.

Isobel swallowed hard—a drunk—angry Katherine could be lethal. She dialed John's number…

I

**The Little White Wedding Chapel:**

Inside the small, yet elegant chapel the lovers were in the middle of their ceremony. Damon was sinfully beautiful in his perfectly fitted black tux, sans bow tie. He'd chosen a thin tie instead and he had a white rose pinned to his lapel with a white handkerchief peeking from his breast pocket. He had no best man, but two of the chapel's employees stood at the altar as flower girls/bride's maids' as Elena made her way down the aisle stepping in time with the traditional music of the Wedding March.

Damon gave a low growl as he got his first look at Elena in her gown. She was a glamorous vision in an ivory silk organza and duchesse silk, strapless gown that hugged her figure beautifully, before flaring wide in a laced organza skirt. The satin train of the dress trailed several feet behind her and in Elena's hands was a lovely bouquet of white, pink and pale yellow roses. White hydrangeas and baby's breath added depth and beauty along with the silky white ribbon that tied the bouquet together. The lighting was dim, but about fifty strategically placed candles gave the room a magical glow. Elena met Damon's eyes and her breath caught at how handsome he looked. He smiled that killer lop-sided grin of his and a giddy Elena couldn't help the answering smile that quirked her lips upward. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally arrived at the altar. Elena handed her bouquet to one of her 'borrowed' bride's maids' and Damon took her hand in his. As one they turned to face the minister. The minister's wife started to tear up. She dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief and exclaimed what a beautiful couple they were. Elena and Damon didn't hear the comment. The lovers only had eyes for each other as the minister began the service.

The kindly looking clergyman gave the couple a warm smile as he began; "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered together here in the sign of God – and in the face of this company – to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore not to be entered lightly, but reverently, discreetly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

You could have heard a pin drop as the minister paused for breath. He opened his mouth to continue the service when suddenly a voice spoke up loud and clear; "I can show just cause why these two shouldn't get married. He's a monster and she deserves better!"

As one, Damon and Elena turned, both their faces showing varying degrees of shock and anger to see Stefan standing at the end of the aisle. He looked belligerent and stubborn.

Unable to pulverize him like he itched to do, Damon rolled his eyes at his brother's impeccably horrible timing. "You gotta be kidding me…" he muttered.

The minister looked shocked and a little embarrassed too. "I—well this rarely happens," he said. He glanced sharply at Stefan. "And just who are you, young man?"

Stefan strode down the aisle while Bonnie stayed at the rear of the chapel. She may have gotten Stefan here, but she wanted no real part in the unfolding drama.

Damon and Stefan spoke simultaneously.

"My idiot of a brother," Damon growled.

"The bride's boyfriend," Stefan snapped.

The minister's jaw dropped. "The bride's…?" Then he glanced at Damon, eyes wide, "your…brother too?" Damon gave a curt nod and the minister adjusted his collar as if it was suddenly too tight. His face was flushed. "Well…this is an unusual turn of events…"

Elena's face was even redder than the minister's as she cut in. "He's my _'ex'_-boyfriend," she clarified, glaring at Stefan, "and he has no reason to be here."

Looking at Elena, the minister asked, "Are you in love with him?"

Elena bit her lip. "I care for him, yes, but I'm not in love with him anymore." She glanced at Damon. "I know who I want and it's Damon."

The minister gave Stefan a stern look. "Young man, you're disturbing a holy union, I suggest—"

Stefan scoffed. "Begging your pardon Father, but there is nothing holy about my brother. Trust me!"

Damon shrugged as the Priest's eyes riveted on him. He glared at Stefan, before he laughed. "Oh come on, this is Vegas, my brother is a jealous idiot!" He waved a hand and smiled at the minister. "You've had to see weirder things than this, right?"

The minister smiled then. "Indeed I have."

Damon smirked and proceeded to pretend Stefan wasn't there. "Good, then can we ignore my annoying brother and continue?"

The kindly minister turned to Elena. "Are you ready to continue, Miss?" She nodded, ignoring Stefan's hurt and angry look. The Priest gave a small nod and began the service again.

Stunned that she was going through with what he considered a despicable affair, especially with him standing right there, Stefan strode forward to physically deter the union. He'd taken a few steps when one of the 'borrowed' bride's maids' moved to stand in front of him, effectively becoming a large pink and lace blockade. He went to move around her, but she moved with him, her girth making it impossible for him to reach the altar. He glared at the heavy-set girl, but she simply crossed her arms and refused to back down. He craned his neck to peer around the heavy-set girl. "Elena, what are you doing?" he asked. His voice and very stance screamed censure and disgust. "How can you marry him? You know what he is. He'll never change. He'll only hurt you—please, even if you don't want to be with me anymore…don't do this…don't marry Damon," Stefan pleaded.

Damon jaw tightened—he was getting sick and tired of his brother's interference. "Stefan, no one wants to listen to your begging." He waved a hand at Bonnie, still hovering at the back entrance of the chapel. "Go. Run along with witchy-poo over there because no one wants you here," he gritted out between clenched teeth. Stefan started to respond, but Damon cut him off with a sharp slashing of his hand. "Enough—you've made your plea, but Elena isn't running off with you, is she?" Stefan turned to Elena, but she looked away, not meeting his eyes and Damon's lips curled into a cocky grin. "You've lost the girl, bro. Why don't you leave before you embarrass yourself anymore than you already have."

Stefan seemed to deflate, but he tried one last time. "Elena…?" His voice was soft—entreating as he silently begged her to reconsider.

She took a deep breath—it hurt, but she was sure she didn't want to be with him and his conflicted and eternal guilt anymore. She let the breath out with a soft but determined *whoosh*. "Go Stefan. I didn't ask you to follow mea and I don't need you to save me. I'm here because I want to be here." His face fell, but she didn't stop. She needed to say the words that would sadly crush him, but would assuredly make him leave. "I love you, Stefan. I do, but I'm not _in love_ with you. I love Damon. I want to marry him, so please…stop ruining my wedding," she said softly.

You could almost see Damon's chest swell. His blue eyes bored into Stefan's and a brillo-pad couldn't have wiped the arrogant smile off Damon's face at that point. He took Elena's hand and kissed her knuckles possessively. "And _that_ would be your cue to leave, brother," he said with a smirk.

At that point Bonnie came forward and spoke up. "Are you sure this is what you want, Elena?"

Elena's eyes widened. She hadn't known Bonnie was there. "Bonnie, what are you doing here?"

"Trying to save you from making the mistake of your life," the witch replied.

"It's not. I want to marry him."

"Elena, are you sure. A week ago you wouldn't have even considered this. Is he compelling you?"

The minister, his wife and the bride's maids' heads all swiveled back to Elena for her answer. This wedding was quickly turning into a Jerry Springer episode.

Elena shook her head and held up her necklace. "No. I'm here because I want to be,." Bonnie looked stunned as she saw the necklace. Elena held out an entreating hand, "Bonnie, please don't judge me. You're my best friend…can't you just accept my decision and love me no matter what?"

Bonnie sighed—she was weakening and Stefan spoke up again, desperate to head off her resignation. "Elena how can you expect anyone to accept this? He's a monster! Bonnie and I just want you to stop and think about what you're doing."

Elena faced Stefan. "I know what I'm doing," she informed him with a lift of her chin.

Stefan scoffed. "It sure doesn't look that way where I'm standing."

A low growl escaped Damon and Elena laid her hand on his arm, calming him. "Whatever," she said to Stefan. "That doesn't change anything." Her dark brown eyes were soft—misty eyed as she said, "Stefan, I'm sorry if that hurts you, but nothing you say is going to change my mind."

Stefan's jaw dropped. "You fell in love with him in one night?" he exclaimed, stunned. He shook his head. "Elena, as much as I hate you being with him—sex isn't love, you know that."

Elena gasped and flushed, obviously embarrassed. Damon made a move to go after Stefan, but Elena's hand on his arm kept him in place and the minister harrumphed.

Giving Stefan an affronted look, the minister cleared his throat. "I think you're getting a little crass there, young man," he said, shaking his white head at the green eyed vampire."Now," he said sternly, wagging a finger at Stefan, "if you're going to stay—take a seat." He pointed to the pews, "Because I have a wedding to perform and I think it's pretty clear that both the Bride and the Groom have no interest in stopping their wedding because you have a problem with it."

Damon and Elena nodded. Stefan's shoulders slumped. He'd lost. He turned and headed down the aisle. The last thing he wanted to do was stay and watch Elena marry his brother. It made him ill—even chewing on a box of toothpicks sounded more pleasant than seeing Elena pledge herself to Damon.

Bonnie touched his shoulder as he trudged past her. "I'm sorry," she said.

Stefan nodded, huddling in on himself—looking more depressed than ever. "Can we go now?"

Bonnie shook her head. "No, and I'm sorry, but I have to stay. She needs me to be here." Stefan's jaw hung and he visibly flinched, but Bonnie couldn't leave with him. "Stefan you have to understand, she's my best friend…even if I don't agree with what she's doing, I'm not going to abandon her…" and with that Bonnie made her way down the aisle. She gave Elena a smile. "Is the position of Maid of Honor still open?"

Elena's face lit up and she grabbed Bonnie in a huge hug. "Thank you," she whispered.

Bonnie gave Damon a glare, to which he answered with an arrogant smirk. She raised her chin, meeting his eyes challengingly before dismissing him and turning back to Elena. "I'll probably never like him," she said softly, making a face, "but if he's your choice…" She heaved a resigned sigh, "then I'll support you. I love you and there's no way you're getting married without me."

Elena locked arms with Bonnie and tugged her up to the altar. Having her best friend here made everything perfect. Her smile was radiant as she faced the minister again. "Okay, we're ready," she said, letting go of Bonnie's arm so that the dark eyed witch could take her place to Elena's right.

The minister blinked, before he broke into a smile too. He nodded his head at Damon who looked anxious to get the ceremony finished. He cleared his throat and began the ceremony again. "We are here today – before God – because marriage is one of His most sacred wishes – to witness the joining in marriage of Damon and Elena. This occasion marks the celebration of their love and commitment. To which this man and this woman begin their life together. And now – through me – God joins them together in one of the holiest bonds…"

The minister asked them if they had the rings. Elena and Damon nodded. Damon handed Elena a ring and she smiled. She'd already told him—ordered was more like it, that he was definitely wearing a ring.

The minister nodded. "Do you Damon take Elena to be your wife in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"

Damon swallowed hard. He'd never pledged himself so deeply to anyone. But one look into Elena's shimmering chocolate eyes and he melted. A slow smile curved his sensual lips upward. "I do," he said clearly and slipped the beautiful platinum and diamond wedding band on her finger.

Elena beamed as the minister turned to her. "Do you, Elena, take Damon, to be your husband in the holy state of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?"

Elena felt tears well up in her eyes. "I will," she said softly as she took Damon's much larger hand in hers. Her eyes met his and she smiled, remembering how she pretty much ordered him to get a ring for himself too. Her heart was in her eyes and she blinked back tears as she slipped the beautiful gold band on his ring finger. She paused at the possessive feeling that accompanied that simple gesture. Damon was now hers—irrevocably. No one—not even Katherine had a part of him like she did. "I love you," she mouthed.

The minister began to speak again. "With these rings these two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle." He placed Damon's hand over Elena's. "May you always share with each other the gifts of love – be one in heart and in mind – may you always create a home together that puts in your hearts – love – generosity and kindness." His weathered face broke into a smile. "And so, by the power vested in me by the State of Nevada and Almighty God, I now pronounce you man and wife…" He nodded at Damon who was already snaking his arms around Elena's slender waist. "You may now kiss the bride, young man."

Damon didn't hesitate—he practically let out a whoop of satisfaction as he dipped Elena over his arm and laid a kiss on her that had her gripping his shoulders in a white knuckled grip while her pulse skyrocketed and her toes curled.

The laughter of the flower girls finally made Damon let her up to breathe. Elena was flushed and breathing hard. Damon licked his lips. "Mmmm…" He offered her his arm. "Mrs. Salvatore..." he grinned, "I like the sound of that." Before Elena could move he had her in his arms. His eyes were a deep, turbulent blue/green. "You're mine—not even God can tear us apart," he whispered before taking her lips again in a deep, wet kiss.

When he let her go, Elena was trembling and her face was now the shade of a red rose. For the first time Bonnie witnessed the chemistry between Damon and her friend. As much as she wanted to protest the union, she had to admit there was indeed something between them. Something powerful and magnetic enough for Bonnie to feel—it was more than a tad magical. But—despite that admission, Bonnie still thought Elena had made a mistake. It would take a lot and proof of Damon changing to get the witch over to 'Team-Damon'. Bonnie was pretty sure hell would freeze over first!

_**Okay guys…I was going to post the Katherine/Damon and Elena scene I have written, but I'm just not happy with it. :( I have to fine-tune it. BUT since I haven't posted on this in so long…and I know you all wanted to see the wedding—I decided to post this as it is now. :) I hope you enjoy it…_

_Okay, I need to say thank you to Vivian Argeneau, Nikki Exley,__mayghaen17, NykkiLeighVampireHeart, BadBoysAreBest and several others' who have inspired musie to write on DElena again. THANK YOU! You all are the best and I missed Damon and Elena—I really did. This is cathartic for me since the show is determined to force all pairings of Paul/Nina and give me NO Ian/Nina scenes. Though I cheered when Damon locked that bitch in the tomb! Yay!_

****Okay, enuff of me, now if you'd please let musie know if you loved-hated-or just enjoyed this chappie—it will keep the little beast fat and happy and if musie is happy—I can write! :) :) :) ****

**Hugs,**

**Jen****  
****  
**


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